


Holiday Surprise

by Mattiewilda



Category: Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21687889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattiewilda/pseuds/Mattiewilda
Summary: What if Shawn wasn't the only one to drop in for Christmas in (Girl Meets) Home for the Holidays?
Relationships: Alan Matthews/Amy Matthews, Eric Matthews/Angela Moore, Topanga Lawrence-Matthews/Cory Matthews
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written in August of 2016 for a reader request on ff.net. The story does focus more on the BMW characters, though since it does touch slightly on GMW characters and takes place during that show's timeline, I'm cross posting. Which, again, always feels weird when I do it because, though I tried, I really wasn't into the show at all. I do put my own spin on certain situations. Also, some characters may not come off too well in the beginning, but If you've read my work before I hope I've proven that, while it's not always pretty, I try to do right by the characters and keep them in character. Or at the very least I try to be as realistic as possible.
> 
> Hopefully I haven't butchered the Italian too much. It's a combo of what I retained from grandparents/aunts/uncles and (unfortunately) translation sites because hearing it spoken and seeing it written are different.
> 
> (And no, I haven't forgotten my other stories. I've just been very under the weather lately and it's easier to transfer a story from one site to another than it is to type up and edit a new chapter.)

_"My best friend named Shawn is down_

_For the Christmas season!_

_And it's quite a miracle_

_Something worth believin'!_

_No one let him out your sight, lest he run away_

_For the future's looking bright_

_My Shawnie's here today-ay-ay!"_

Topanga winced at the off-key singing and saw that Riley had stopped chopping veggies and was using pot holders to cover her ears. Her husband practically danced with glee around the living room. Shawn was coming for Christmas. This was big. Ever since Riley was born getting him to come around was difficult. Her own relationship with him was practically reduced to phone calls and emails. Cory was the one who really saw him and that wasn't often. She didn't worry about this so much for herself, or even for Cory, but Riley believed it was her fault. She took it personally and thought she was the reason Uncle Shawn rarely came to visit. Every protective motherly instinct was threatening to go into kill mode for her daughter at the slightest provocation- even if it was Shawn in the crosshairs. For someone who claimed everyone has left him while he stuck around, he's managed to pull quite the disappearing act of his own. He kept himself very busy and on the road for work. From what she knew he was somewhat successful, but she would hardly call him happy. Loner, hermit, reclusive…those were the words she'd use to describe Shawn Hunter nowadays. It was, however, the life he'd created for himself- no matter how much he tried to lay blame on others. "Cory?"

"Yes, honey?"

"What's with the song? Don't you think poor King Wenceslas has suffered enough without you butchering his song?"

"Why would a fictional king care if I pull a lil' switcheroo on some lyrics?"

She gaped at him. "Please tell me you, Cory Matthews, a history teacher, are kidding me?"

"Okay, I'm kidding." He stole a few carrots from the bowl where Riley had been placing the chopped ones. "What am I kidding about," he whispered to his daughter. She shrugged in return.

"King Wenceslas was a Catholic Duke in Bohemia in the tenth century who was also known by the name Vaclav the Good. He was posthumously made a king and became a saint after he was murdered by his brother, Boleslaw the Bad."

Riley giggled. "She's got you, dad."

He picked up a box a box he'd brought up from their basement earlier and set it on the couch. There was one ornament in particular he was looking for. He suspected his wife hid it like she did every year. It wasn't malicious, but rather a game at this point. "Topanga, no one likes a smarty pants on the holidays." He shook his head when she darted from the kitchen to the living room to continue her frantic last minute cleaning. "Stop running around like a crazy woman." He nearly tripped over the vacuum cleaner cord when she quickly backtracked around the couch. "Watch it. We don't want to spend Christmas in the hospital…especially this Christmas."

"No one goes to the hospital," Riley ordered. "This is the first time Maya's spending the holiday with us. It has to be perfect."

"Honey, Maya is not the only person that matters. We want this to be a nice Christmas for everyone." She wound up the cord on the vacuum and put it in the closet. "Cory, on a scale of one to ten, how tough is your mom going to be on me?"

"Do you want me to pat your head and be patronizing or tell you the truth?"

She took a deep breath. Amy had been calling every day for the past few weeks- sometimes multiple times a day- to offer helpful tips and suggestions. "Patronize me and tell me I'm pretty."

He patted his wife's head. "It's gonna be a bloodbath."

"Hey!"

"But you're still pretty and I'm going to love you even after mom turns you into mincemeat."

"You're done talking. Riley, vegetables now. Chop, chop, chop! That veggie tray won't make itself. Did you also set up the relish tray like I asked? Auggie, come help mommy get chips and dip!"

Her mother was already at the stove working herself up into a frenzy- which was usually her father's territory. "Dad, what's a relish tray?"

"I don't know. We'll lie and say you made it but the dog ate it."

"We don't have a dog. You won't let me get one."

"Right…then I suggest you hop onto Google and figure it out and save your poor mom from a-" The intercom buzzed and he sprinted to the door. "Shawnie!"

"Thanks for the help, dad," she muttered.

Cory pressed the button. "Shawnie?"

"Um…nope. Maya."

"Shawn?"

"It's not your boyfriend for the millionth time. Let me in! It's cold."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"So I can finally ditch this monstrosity," Topanga asked, holding up the _Cory and Shawn 4 Evah!_ ornament.

"Nevah!" He took the ornament from her hands and scanned the tree, looking for the perfect place. "Ah," he said, placing it on a branch, "perfect- centerpiece of the whole tree."

"It's blocking our wedding ornament."

"Eh."

She looked at the kids and shook her head. "Story of my life." She held out her hand. "Come on, Auggie, help me make sure everything in the kitchen is grandma-approved."

Maya came bursting through the front door. "I'm sorry I'm not your boyfriend….the guy you claim is out there. Personally, I'm not sure he's even real. I'd say we have a better shot at seeing Big Foot than this Shawn guy."

"He's real, Maya. Shawn exists. He's been my best friend my entire life," Cory said with conviction.

She chuckled. "Usually toying with you is more fun than teasing a kitten with a piece of string, but even this is getting old. Here, Riley," she said, walking over to her best friend, "I got you a present."

"Aw, thanks," she said, reading the paper placed in her hands. "I'll love seeing you in your new winter coat."

Maya smiled, knowing she legitimately meant it. "You're welcome. I thought about making a donation in your name to my winter boot fund, too, but that's my belated birthday gift to you."

"Good to know."

"You know me. I'm bad with gifts. So, what's the deal with the mysterious Loch Ness Shawn?"

"I don't know him. I don't think he likes me very much," she admitted with a frown.

"How on earth could he not like you?"

"I'm too afraid to ask. I'd never get an answer anyway. If we're in the same room he finds a reason to leave and not talk to me."

"Trust me, you are the best person I know." Maya wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "So, how nuts has it been here?"

The buzzer went off again.

"Shawn? Buddy, is that you?"

"Does that answer your question," Riley whispered to her friend.

"No, it's your parents," Alan answered from over the intercom.

"Aw, man!"

"Cory, we can still hear you. Do you still not understand how a speaker works?"

"Alan, this isn't going to be a disaster, is it?"

"Amy...speaker."

He let go of the intercom button when he realized Topanga could hear his parents. He knew his mom wasn't really expecting everything to be screwed up, but things were changing and she was having trouble adapting. He was in New York. Josh would be away at college soon. Morgan was living in California and was so busy with work she couldn't even make it this year. She worked in a veterinarian's office and also helped to train service animals. Her work was important but he hated that it kept her away from her family. As far as Eric was concerned…well…he was living his life with his wife and kid far away from everyone else. "Um...mom, dad," Cory broke in and winced when his parents were still talking. "My turn to remind you how an intercom works. Come on up."

He turned around and saw Topanga, Riley, and Maya were taking turns flinging pieces of popcorn from the garland at his and Shawn's ornament. "Hey!" He dove in front of the tree. "That is not Christmas behavior you....you...big meanies!" Cory freed the ornament from bits of corn. "Don't worry, Shawnie, these misers are not taking us down."

"I guess some things never change," Alan declared, entering the apartment. Somehow he wasn't surprised to find his son clinging to a Christmas ornament of him and Shawn.

"Grandma! Grandpa!"

Hugs and kisses were doled out- along with the extra pocket money from grandpa for the kids- but after that, Amy made a beeline for the kitchen. "Hi, honey," she greeted Topanga, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Hi."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Um..." She didn't know the right answer here. "Everything? I know my Christmas dinner will pale in comparison to yours'. But I think I'm doing it right. I'm using your recipes- even tried your butternut squash soup, and-"

The older woman sighed. Topanga's knuckles were white she had her fists clenched so tightly. She hated not only how nervous her daughter-in-law looked, but knowing that she was the reason for those nerves. "Topanga, I'm sorry. It's...this is new for me. For so many years it's been my Christmas in my kitchen. It's difficult to not be the epicenter of comfort and you kids always flocked to me and Alan for that. It's difficult when traditions change. But it's your turn. I remember how grown up I felt and scared I was when Alan and I hosted our first holiday. I should've been more understanding."

"That's okay. Giving up control isn't exactly the highlight of my personality either."

"I surrender my oven mitts to you and will go into the living room with everyone else."

She grabbed onto Amy's arm. "Please don't give up all at once. I could use some help with these potatoes."

"You don't have to throw me a pity project."

"Trust me, I'm not. Most of the food is fine, but the potatoes...I'm trying this new au gratin recipe that I thought looked good and they are not coming out right." A few minutes ago she considered pitching the whole thing out the window to hide her mistake, but now Topanga welcomed the help knowing she wouldn't be judged. She removed the lid. "See?"

"Oh, my. How did you manage that?"

"Can we save them?"

"Honey, the real question is: can we save the pot?"

She pouted. "It figures. The one recipe I try that's not yours' is a disaster."

"That's okay. You'll develop your own recipes in time. Do you have enough left over to make another batch?"

"Yes."

"Bring them here and we'll do this again. And while we're fixing it I'll tell you about the first Thanksgiving Alan and I hosted. We thought it would be nice to have both sides of the family over at the same time."

"Fun."

"Not really. A drunken fight broke out among cousins, I burned the stuffing, and my parents yelled at Alan for "making me" live in a tiny shoebox of an apartment instead having money to buy a house right away." Topanga shook her head in response. "And did I mention I was also nearly seven months pregnant with Eric at the time?"

"Aw, poor you."

"So, see? If the worst thing that happens tonight is congealed potatoes we can call it a victory. We can't eat the potatoes, but the rest of the holiday will be saved."

/

/

"Dad, where's Josh? Don't tell me you actually let him talk you into going on that ski trip with Tyler's family? Christmas is for family...his family."

"No, no ski trip. He should be here soon. He said something about a big surprise and asked to drive the van. He was leaving about twenty minutes behind us."

"Wow, you know it's big if a teenager is asking to drive mom's minivan."

"What's wrong with the van?"

Maya pulled Riley up from the couch and dragged her to the window. "A surprise?"

"What?"

"Josh is bringing a surprise."

"Yeah, so?"

"Do you think it's for me?" She could hardly contain her excitement and she didn't let herself get excited about much.

"Why would Josh bring a surprise for you?"

"Um…Christmas! And my birthday is next month…two birds, one stone." It was all she could do not to jump up and down.

Riley shook her head. "It's not for you."

"Just think. I could be your aunt."

"Oh, boy, here we go again. Maya, you're not going to be my aunt."

"Why are you being such a dream killer today instead of the usual Riley happiness and sunshine? Isn't Christmas the time for extra happiness and sunshine? At least that's what all the cheeseball TV specials make it seem like."

"My father is excited to see the person who hates me. How am I supposed to react?"

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding. Your dad is always saying this Shawn guy is his Maya and you know how many times people don't get me."

"True."

She nudged her arm. "Hey. If by some chance it's not a misunderstanding and he does have issues, we handle it."

"How?"

"We'll trip him with one of Auggie's trucks, tie him up with scarves, and not let him leave until he sees how wonderful you are."

Riley smiled. "Thanks, Maya."

"What are best friends for?"

"I just thought of something," she began after several long seconds of silence. "If you became my aunt, I'd get real presents."

"What are you talking about? I don't _do_ presents."

"You'd have to if you were an aunt. Really, Maya, think of the children. Donations to your clothing fund wouldn't cut it. I'd want you to fund my closet for a change…ooh, and teddy bears. A girl can never have too many teddy bears."

"Darn it."

"And you can't forget Auggie-"

"Aw, man."

"-or our little cousin."

Maya took a deep breath. "I may have to rethink this. Being your aunt may not work for me after all."

/

A while later, the intercom buzzed again and Cory sprinted over and held down the button. "Shawn, this had better be you."

"Guess again, big brother."

He sighed, dejected. "Oh, Josh…just you."

"Gee, thanks. I come bearing surprises."

"Come on up." Was Shawn standing him up? Was he going to call and say he couldn't make it? That there was this last minute job he couldn't pass up? It wouldn't be the first time.

"Merry Christmas," Josh exclaimed, peaking his head into the apartment. "Everyone ready for my surprise?"

"See," Riley whispered. "It's an everybody surprise, not a Maya surprise."

She crossed her arms. "Whatever."

"Josh, what is it," Alan asked.

"Ta-da!" He threw the door open and stepped into the apartment.

Cory spotted them first and rushed the door. "Ah!" He pushed his little brother out of the way before attempting to close out the visitors. "No, not this year of all years! Come back next Christmas."

"What are you-"

"Was that Eric?"

"Cory, let them in."

He put on the chain and stood in front of the door. "But this is Shawn's year!" He looked to his parents.

"Cory Matthews, quit stomping around like a two year old that missed his nap and open that door," Amy ordered.

"But, mom-"

"Topanga," a voice called out from the other side of the door, "I brought you shoes! Shoes from Paris and Milan!"

"Ooh! Shoes!" She ran over. "Move it or lose it."

"But, Topanga...it's Shawn's turn," came his feeble reply.

"Cory," the voice called out again, "I have a potty-training three year old out here who just announced she needs to go. Open the door."

He undid the chain, remembering well the days of training Riley and Auggie. They would say they had to go to the bathroom with only a five second warning- if you were lucky. Cory loved his niece and he wouldn't be the reason she had an accident in the hall. Besides, it wasn't her fault that her parents got together even if it meant stabbing his best friend in the heart. He opened the door and stepped back, not surprised when Eric ran in with the toddler in his arms. He'd made that dash several times himself, usually in public where he could look extra ridiculous. "Around the corner, first door on the right."

"Thanks."

"Angela!"

"Topanga!"

As Cory watched his wife and sister-in-law locked in a tight embrace, he could feel Shawn's perfect holiday homecoming crashing in flames. He'd take one look at Eric and Angela and walk right out the door. And that was the best case scenario.

"I thought you wouldn't be able to fly in, that you'd have to wait until Easter."

"That would've ruined the surprised factor," Angela remarked with a grin, "and unfortunately since traveling during Easter isn't possible for us, we decided-"

"What do you mean it isn't possible?"

"Let's wait for Eric on that." She hugged her in-laws next, followed by the kids. "Man you guys are all growing so fast and making me feel old. Auggie, I bet you're going to be taller than your dad soon, huh?"

"I hope so. Then I can stand over him and tell him to clean his room and not run in the house."

The adults laughed, even Cory.

"That sounds like a good idea. Something tells me he needs to be told not to run a lot. And oh, wow, Riley, Maya you girls are gorgeous. Pretty soon I'll be writing about you in Vogue Italia."

"Uh, no, no modeling," Topanga jumped in. "Well, unless you promise to bring mommy shoes. Then model all you want."

"You work for Vogue Italia," Maya asked.

"Yes, I'm a copywriter for them." Angela never imagined she'd end up writing for a fashion magazine, let alone one of the most prestigious fashion magazines out there. But it was a stable job that allowed her to be based in one place and at the end of the day it was more important for her to be with her family than constantly bouncing around chasing stories. She got the chasing out of her system before she became a mom.

"Wow, they do more than fashion. They're really artistic and into edgy ideas."

"We try."

"How do you know anything about a fashion magazine," Riley asked.

"If I see the mail before the lady down the hall I borrow her magazines. If there's nothing cool in there sometimes she even gets them back."

"How nice of you."

"Why did you guys let Josh in on it," Alan questioned Angela, still confused about the secrecy.

"What's wrong with me," the teen wondered.

"Eric realized you'd send Christmas presents ahead for us so we needed someone on the inside and-"

"And, dad," Eric picked up the conversation as he walked back into the room, tossing his and Georgia's coats on the couch as he went, "you can't keep a secret from mom. And mom…you can't keep a secret, at least not a happy secret."

"Come over here and give your blabbermouth mother a hug." She missed having him and Angela close by. They'd moved overseas for Angela's career not long after their wedding and the couple visits a year weren't enough. It killed her to watch her granddaughter grow up via pictures and Skype.

"Mama, guess what?" Georgia dashed across the room. "I made it to the potty on time."

Angela smiled. Her little girl had been trying very hard lately to have no accidents. She wanted so badly to be a big girl. "Good job, little miss. High five!"

"What about me, Georgia? Am I chopped liver?"

She ran to her grandfather. "You're Nonno!"

Alan still wasn't used to the Italian version of grandpa, but it's what Georgia like to call him. He picked her up with exaggerated effort. "And you're getting big."

"I saw you in the kitchen eating food."

"You did? When?"

"At Mr. Feeny's house. I saw you in the window a lot of the times."

"We flew in three days ago," Eric explained. "Since we're six hours ahead of you, we wanted to try to get Georgia's schedule a little closer to this so she wouldn't fall asleep during Christmas dinner."

"Georgia not sleepy. I awake. See." She held her eyes wide open with her fingers and then, because she's Eric's daughter, accidentally poked herself in the eye. "Ouchie." 

"You mean you've been right next door to us the whole time?" Amy walked over and held out her arms to Georgia, who happily migrated over. "You are a little trickster, Georgia Matthews."

"Mama and daddy did it and Zio Josh. Not Georgia."

"Hey, traitor."

"So our Christmas presents never made it to Italy?"

"Mom, do you remember the day I went to take them to the post office?"

"Yes."

"I drove around the block and then snuck them in Mr. Feeny's front door. Come on," Josh scoffed, "when have I ever volunteered to go to the post office for you? And especially around Christmas? Every year you complain about the lines and rude people."

"I thought you were being helpful."

"I'm not that helpful."

"Where's the money I gave you for the shipping," Alan prodded his youngest. "I want that back- every last penny."

Cory could only shake his head at the happy family scene before him. What part of, _'This is Shawn's year,'_ did people not understand? He'd come to begrudgingly accept Eric and Angela's marriage over the years, but they were a big part of the reason Shawn stayed away from so many Matthews family gatherings. Maybe he could take Eric aside, talk to him brother to brother, and ask if their families could get together tomorrow. Hell, he'd even offer to pay for anything that was open on Christmas Eve to get them out of here.

"Angela, you're still in your coat," Topanga realized. "Aren't you hot?"

"A little, yeah."

"Well, give it to me. I've still got the oven going. No need for you to burn up and pass out." She caught the quick glance between her and Eric and pointed between them, her curiosity piqued. "What's going on?"

"It's good news, definitely good, but there's a reason we did all we could to make this trip happen because as I said…" She finished unbuttoning her coat. "…a visit around Easter isn't going to be possible for us."

"You're pregnant?!"

"Why wasn't I let in on this surprise?"

Cory sighed, watching as everyone embraced the soon to be parents of two. Georgia and Auggie were the only ones who weren't too sure what to make of the situation. He turned on his heel to check the food- knowing Topanga and his mom had probably forgotten all about it.

"When are you due?"

"Either the last week of April or the first week of May- the doctor keeps switching it."

"Ah, that explains why Easter is out. Maybe we could fly out to you, right Alan?"

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl or are you letting it be a surprise?"

They smiled at each other, glad they'd stuck by their initial decision to keep the pregnancy a surprise until the Christmas visit. It hadn't been easy and they nearly caved multiple times. "Georgia, fratellino o sorellina?" While her daughter was fairly competent with English- it was the language they spoke at home- until recently she seemed more comfortable with Italian. Over time it was becoming easier for the girl to go back and forth between the two.

She looked up from where she was playing with Auggie. "I want a Brother Bear. Not a Sister Bear."

Amy gasped. "It's a boy?"

Eric shook his head. "She wants a brother so we can match her Berenstain Bears books, but…" He glanced at Angela before answering. "…it's a girl!'

/

Shawn knocked on the apartment door once again. It sounded like there was one hell of a celebration going on in there. He'd used the key Cory gave him long ago to get into the building after no one responded to the intercom. He felt weird waltzing into Cory and Topanga's home now, especially since it wasn't just the two of them. Shawn knocked again. Still nothing. This was odd.

He had assumed Cory would be perched on the roof like some sort of gargoyle waiting to pounce as soon as he was close. Just as he was preparing to suck it up and use his key the door opened and he saw the kid he knew was Auggie, though older than the last time he'd seen him. Wow, had he grown. It was yet another reminder of how much time had passed, how much he'd missed. Auggie, however, hadn't come to the door alone. Though they'd never officially met- Shawn had seen countless pictures shared by the proud grandparents on social media and also displayed on their fridge along with Cory and Topanga's kids- he had a feeling he would know Angela's child anywhere.


	2. Chapter 2

Shawn wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there. It wasn't until he noticed Auggie looking at him like he was an alien that he figured he'd better say something. "Hi, Auggie," he choked out. "Do you remember me?"

"Uncle Shawn."

He almost cracked a smile at the, _'duh, of course I know who you are, dummy,'_ subtext in the kid's tone. Almost. "Right…that's right."

"Who are you?"

Shawn was startled when she spoke. He stared at the girl, more than a little unnerved to find her watching him with equal intensity. For as much as she favored Eric, there was something about her that was distinctly her mother. Shawn felt as though she could see right through him, which was ridiculous because she couldn't be any more than, what…three, four years old? How long ago was it that Angela called him out of the blue one night and asked, in a rather panicked state, if he believed she had what it took to be a good parent? Not long after that conversation he heard she'd given birth and was now in fact, a mother.

"Hello, mister, I ask you a question," Georgia repeated, clinging tightly to her doll. "Who are you?"

"Auggie," Topanga called out, "what have dad and I said about opening the door without a grownup?"

"It's just Uncle Shawn, mom."

"Shawnie!" Cory ran from the kitchen and dashed across the apartment. He leapt over the coffee table and nearly took out Josh and Eric along the way. He shoved the kids aside and pushed Shawn back out into the hallway and closed the door behind them. "I'm so sorry."

"What's going on? Is that- are Angela and Eric-?"

"I didn't know they were going to be here- no one did except Josh. They decided it would be a fun surprise to just fall out of the sky and drop in on us like the freaking Wicked Witch of the East."

"I can't do this, Cor, I'm sorry, but I can't. I can't be in the same room as them. We'll get together another time."

"But, Shawn-"

"I thought they weren't going to be here anyway. You said they claimed Easter." He took a few steps back until he was up against the wall. "So me and you will ring in the New Year together, right? Because I sure as hell am not staying here."

"But Shawnie…" He didn't want his best friend to leave and spend Christmas alone and- if history was any indication- he'd either leave town or spend the night drinking. "You know what? No, no you're not leaving."

"Excuse me?"

"You promised you'd spend Christmas with me and you are keeping your promise."

"Cor-"

"Nope, I've made up my mind. You were supposed to come to my parents' Labor Day barbecue but bailed at the last minute."

"You're still hung up on a lame barbecue that happened four months ago? I had to work."

"Topanga's birthday dinner? Thanksgiving?"

"Work." He ran his hands through his hair and wondered if the people whose front door he was leaning against would mind if he ran in to borrow their fire escape to get away. "Don't give me that look. Oh, like either one of you would pass up a free trip to Puerto Rico!"

"Riley's birthday party two weeks ago," he challenged quietly. "She wrote out all the invitations herself- even to family she knew would be here without an invite. It was her idea to decorate the envelopes with stickers of things people loved." Cory thought back and remembered how his daughter didn't want to send him an invitation. She was so convinced Uncle Shawn wouldn't come. He made her send one though, fully believing he would want to celebrate his own goddaughter's milestone birthday as she entered her teen years. In the end Riley was right, Shawn was a no show. "Do you know how long it took us to track down just the right camera themed stickers?"

"I had to…" He sighed. Being around Cory and Topanga reminded him of what he didn't have. He didn't get the Kodak family moments when he was a kid and it seemed the gods conspired to keep them from him even now. Shawn tried to convince himself that he preferred to be alone- no responsibilities, no one to check in with- ultimate freedom. And he told himself that was why he pushed away any possibility of happiness. He had completely reverted back to his high school dating patterns with one or two special exceptions. In reality he feared that he was fated to forever walk this lonely path. "What do you want from me?"

"Spend Christmas with us. We hardly ever get to see each other anymore. The kids don't really know their Uncle Shawn. Keep your promise and be here."

"When I made that promise I didn't know about the surprise guests."

"Neither did I, but come on. There's plenty of other people to talk to. Just pretend they're not here."

Shawn leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. Could he be in the same room with Angela and Eric after all these years? It hadn't ended well the last time. "I'll give it a shot, but I can't guarantee anything."

Cory exhaled in relief. The battle was half won if he came inside. "I know." He turned around when the door to his apartment opened and Riley and Maya were standing there. "See…told you Shawn was real."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "I'm still not convinced. Maybe he's a hologram or you paid a really convincing lookalike."

"Do you want to see our infamous handshake? We'll do the handshake, right Shawnie?"

"Infamous? According to who?"

"According to me!"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Oh, no."

"Dad, you're wanted inside," Riley said, focusing her attention solely on her father- an action that didn't go unnoticed.

"For what?"

"You have to apologize to Georgia."

"Why?"

"When you made the mad dash to your boyfriend you pushed the little kids out of the way and they went down," Maya filled in the blanks. "Auggie's fine. Georgia cried. Her tights ripped when she fell and boy is she mad at big, meanie Zio Cory the Grinch."

"Big meanie Zio Cory?"

"What's a zio?"

"It's Italian for uncle," Cory said, filling him in.

"Don't forget the Grinch part."

"Uncle Eric added Grinch…not Georgia."

"You took out the kid," Shawn exclaimed, "of all people?"

"It was an accident! To be fair it sounds like I took mine out, too."

"There's something to put in your next Christmas newsletter."

"Girls, go inside."

"Okay, fine, but I'd better see what all the hype is about because right now? I'm not impressed with him."

"Hype, what hype? What have you been saying about me?"

"Told them only the best stuff." He could see Shawn was uncomfortable being treated by the girls as though he was an exhibit at the zoo. "Go," Cory said, shooing them towards the door. "We'll be right there."

Riley pulled on her friend's arm with one hand and opened the door with the other. "Let's go."

"What the hell was that about," Shawn asked as soon as they were alone again.

"Oh, don't mind them. They're us." Cory wrapped his arm around his shoulders and steered him towards the front door. "Quit stalling, buddy. People are excited to see you…some for the first time."

"Cor-"

"Nope, it's time to shut up and give the people what they want."

"You mean give you what you want?"

"I represent the people."

/

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm going to have your tights fixed up in no time." Amy worked the thread through the needle and got busy with the repair. Georgia looked so depressed in her mother's arms, resting her head on Angela's shoulder. Her pout seemed permanent.

"Nonna gonna make them all better?"

"Not only will they be all better, but thanks to Zia Toto's Christmas patches, your tights will be Christmassy, too."

Topanga cringed at the Toto label, but it's what Georgia had called her since she could speak. She personally blamed Eric. Who but him would come up with Toto? Her only consolation was that the moniker was slightly better than her father's childhood nickname for her: Tippy. "It's not a problem. They were leftovers from Riley wanting to make her own holiday shirts." She looked up when her daughter and Maya came into the kitchen. "How's it going in the hall? Tears and hugs?"

"No! You completely dramatized what it would be like. They're just talking."

"It sounds like dad is trying to convince Uncle Shawn to come in."

Angela sighed and gently ran a hand over her daughter's back. Her breathing had become slower and more steady, a sign she was getting sleepy. "We should've called first instead of surprising you. Josh didn't say Shawn was coming. Neither did Mr. Feeny."

"No, honey, you have every right to spend Christmas with your family."

"So does Shawn, and well…you've been his family much longer than mine."

"Stop it. You are both members of this family and we love you both," Amy reiterated. "Is the situation complicated, yes, but life is complicated and messy. Staying bogged down in it does no one any good."

Riley and Maya stared at each other, confused. "Aunt Angela, why would Uncle Shawn care if you're here?"

She turned to Topanga. "You've never told them?"

"It's never really come up."

"When we were in high school and college with your parents Shawn and I dated. We were on again and off again, and on again and off again for a few years."

"Really?"

"Were you serious?"

"Yeah, we were. We were a lot alike and tried to help each other deal with some pretty heavy stuff."

Georgia raised her head from her mother's shoulder. "Mama has a boyfriend? But daddy is your boyfriend."

She kissed her daughter's cheek. "No, baby, daddy's not my boyfriend. He's my husband."

"Then who is your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," she said through chuckles. "I have daddy. I love daddy."

"Then who is the mister outside of the door that I never met in my whole forever life?"

"He's Uncle Cory's boyfriend," Topanga replied, smiling at Georgia's little kid talk. She missed hearing little kid speech. It was cute the way they tried to put their thoughts into words. Auggie's been outgrowing that ever since he started school.

"What happened with you guys?" Riley was beginning to feel a little glimmer of hope that maybe it wasn't her who kept Uncle Shawn away. Or at least it wasn't just her. "Why did you break up?"

"Riley, that's not an appropriate question," she lectured to her daughter "It's none of your business. Sometimes things don't work out and relationships end. That doesn't make it anyone's fault. It just is."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Angela reassured her niece with a smile. "I moved away to spend time with my father. We had a lot of lost time to make up for. And then-"

"Your dad ditched you when you were a kid," Maya asked.

She was caught off guard by the question. "My dad, no. He was in the army and had to travel a lot for work. My moth- the woman who gave birth to me…she bailed. I haven't seen or heard from her since I was ten."

"Oh. My dad's the one who walked out on me and my mom…she's not around much. Most of the time it's like I barely have half a parent."

"I'm sorry." They shared the sad, lost smile that only those who had been through it would understand. "For what it's worth, I'm sure you're going to be okay." Angela cuddled her daughter a little closer. "Just make sure you keep yourself surrounded by the people who really love you- whether they're blood or not."

"Thanks, I'll try." She cleared her throat, already uncomfortable with the amount of personal information she'd shared with Riley's aunt. "So what happened? Between you and Shawn, I mean."

"Life happened and we grew up. Like Topanga said, it wasn't anyone's fault. We wanted different things and drifted apart." That was the most diplomatic way she could think to describe Shawn's ultimatum masked as a proposal. From across the apartment she had a bird's eye view of the door opening and Cory and Shawn coming in. Her ex looked as though he'd rather be anywhere but here and she couldn't help but feel partly responsible.

/

/

"It's good to see you again, Shawn."

"You, too, Mr. Matthews."

"How have you been?"

"Busy. You know…working and stuff. Did you get my latest postcard?" Mr. and Mrs. Matthews had all but ordered him to send a postcard from every assignment, if for no other reason than to know he was alive and okay. He listened. He didn't really have a choice. After he skipped a few he found himself on the receiving end of quite the lecture.

Alan laughed. "Yes, we got it. I think you may be the first person to ever send a postcard from Wisconsin."

"Where else are you going to find cows wearing sunglasses and standing in front of huge beer steins?" He had gone to the cheese state to cover this new vacation spot that promised to get you back to nature and at one with the elements. It lived up to its promise. Shawn had more fun than he expected and that he'd probably ever admit to and was already planning a trip back- this time strictly a vacation, no work involved. The people were very friendly and welcoming.

"The only things missing were those giant cheese hats people wear to Packers' games."

"That was a different postcard. I thought the steins were funnier than the hats." His gaze wandered to the youngest Matthews' son and realized he actually had to look up. "Geez, Josh, are you ever going to quit growing?"

"Don't be jealous. Or, you know what, be jealous," he said with a smirk on his face. "That works for me."

Eric stood back as people greeted Shawn. It had been years since they were face to face and he had no clue what to say. The last time they saw each other- at Mr. Feeny's retirement party- it had ended in disaster. He found himself on the receiving end of a fist to the face and Shawn was told to leave after the incident. He felt bad. For as much as Shawn was Cory's best friend he considered him a close friend, too. They shared an apartment on multiple occasions- with Jack in college and once again for a few years when they came to New York. It simply made sense for them to live together and share expenses in such a pricey city. They had been real friends- which was why Eric went to him when he realized his relationship with Angela had potential to get serious. That was the most confusing part. Shawn gave his blessing and told him to go for it, so he did. And he later got punched in the face as a result.

"Daddy, come see!"

Georgia's voice rang out loud and clear, cutting through any other conversation going on at the moment. Eric was grateful for the distraction as it would buy him more time. Truthfully he was more concerned about the effect this could have on Angela than anything else. He didn't want anything said that would upset his wife. It was a tired stereotype, but pregnancy amplified her emotions and made her more sensitive than she would be otherwise. If her current pregnancy bore any resemblance to when she was expecting Georgia, her body would not react well to the emotional stress Shawn- or Cory, or anybody else- could cause.

"Daddy!"

"I'll be right there." He briefly locked eyes with Shawn before turning on his heel and heading for the kitchen. There he found his daughter standing on a chair while Angela snapped a picture. His mom, Topanga, Riley and Maya had since moved to the living room and they were alone...well, as alone as they could be with this open floor plan. "What are you shouting about? Inside voice, remember?"

"Pots and kettles, babe," Angela said with a small grin.

"Look!" Georgia held up her the ends of her green and white polka dot dress to show off the knee of her newly repaired tights. "Nonna made them all better."

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. It didn't take much to make her happy. "Nonna's good at that. They look super cool. I love the glittery snowflakes."

/

Shawn couldn't help but be drawn to the scene in the kitchen. They were so domestic, so normal. And their gentle smiles and body language bespoke the true nature of their relationship. There was none of the awkwardness he liked to pretend existed between them. They were a couple- a family- in every sense of the word. The worst part was he had no one to blame but himself.

Eric paid him a visit not long after Angela returned to Philadelphia. She had moved back to take care of her father who, in a rather cruel twist of fate, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after retiring from the army. Eric was also living in Philly again. Despite quickly landing a decent job doing weather and traffic on a popular morning radio show, New York never felt like a good fit. Nobody was surprised that he was the one to move back home. He came to Shawn and talked about how much time he and Angela had been spending together- how close they seemed to be getting. But he didn't take him seriously. It was Eric after all. Even after he grew up and got his act together, it was difficult to see him as anything other than insane.

Shawn assumed it was simply a crush. That or this was his friend's way of reminding him that Angela was a beautiful, smart, strong woman with kind soul and that she wouldn't be available forever. Some other guy would come along and be ready to offer her the world and he'd better get his ass in gear if he wanted any hope of getting back together with her. Either way, Shawn expected this to end with Angela letting Eric down easy; to appreciate his friendship but rebuff the potential for something more. To say it didn't work out the way he thought it would was an understatement of epic proportions.

Despite all the conversation and familial harmony around him, he couldn't quite tear his attention away from the scene playing out in the kitchen. His heart sank when Angela stood to refill her water glass. The swell of her stomach was impossible to miss.

/

"Is Babbo Natale going to visit tonight even if we are not at home," Georgia asked her parents in a muffled tone.

"Don't talk with a straw in your mouth, please. But, yes, he will bring you gifts. Remember, we left a paper trail."

"What is that?"

Eric lifted her up off of the chair. "She means that we wrote the letters to Babbo Natale and told him where we were staying, remember?"

"The papers I draw my name on?"

She had been determined to sign each letter to Santa herself. "Yes."

"Then you should say that, mama. No trails."

"That's right," he agreed. "Don't make thing so complicated."

She shook her head humorously at her little family. Eric would forever marvel and go on about how much Georgia was like her, but to Angela it was father and daughter who were the true peas in a pod. Georgia had definitely inherited her father's sense of humor and glass half full mentality, something she was grateful for. "I'm sorry. I'm sure he got all the letters we sent to him."

"Is it almost time to eat? My tummy is loud and rumbly."

He lifted her higher and put his ear to her stomach. "You're right. I think the dinosaur is awake. And boy, does he sound angry."

"Daddy," she exclaimed through a string of giggle. "I no have dinosaurs in my tummy!"

"Uh-oh, Is it a lion? 'Cause I'm afraid of lions."

"You're silly, daddy."

Angela took a packet of her girl's favorite cheese crackers out of her purse and gave her one. "Here you go, little miss. Feed the dinosaur. Dinner will be soon. Why don't you ask Auggie if he wants to play?"

Riley had been meandering out on the outskirts of the activity in the living room and heard the conversation going on in the kitchen. "I have some old toys she might have fun playing with. Do you want to see my stuffed animals, Georgia?"

"Yes!" She wiggled out of her father's arms and ran to her cousin. "Do you have hippos? Hippos are my most favorite aminal."

"I don't have stuffed hippos, but I have a game where we all get to be hippos. You have to feed them really fast because they are super hungry."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She took her little cousins hand. "It's a lot of fun. Maya, we're going to my room."

"Have a good time."

"You're coming with us."

"Why? Out here is where all the action is." She was practically on pins and needles waiting to see how the evening would go down. Not only did she want to see if this Shawn person lived up to the hype, but he also used to date Angela? And Angela is now married to Eric? The drama that could unfold was better than any schoolbook she's ever read. Heck, it would probably be more entertaining than television. "I'm staying here."

"We need four players. You're coming."

Maya sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this one. Riley wasn't one to shy away from making a scene and if the adults asked why she didn't want to play a game, she'd have to admit that she wanted to spy on their conversations. "Fine, we'll play Hungry, Hungry Hippos. Come on, Auggie," she said, grabbing the little boy's arm, "you be our fourth player."

"You're playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos," Josh asked. "I want in on the next round."

She beamed at her crush. "Why wait? You can be our fourth." She pushed Auggie aside. "Sorry, buddy, you've been cut."

"Hey!"

"Everybody takes turns playing the game," Topanga lectured. "Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes."

"You've been preparing for this meal for two days," Cory pointed out. "How is it still not ready?"

"Do you want Christmas dinner or the box of Cheerios in the cabinet?"

"Christmas dinner, please."

"Then don't rush me."

/

/

"Ha-ha, Team Uncle Josh wins again! High five, Georgia." Josh leaned back in an exaggerated fashion when she slapped his hand. "Geez, not so hard, Wonder Woman. How did you get so strong?"

"I drink my milk. And when I make a mess mama and daddy make me put my blocks away all by myself."

"Blocks are heavy. No wonder you're strong."

"It's my turn to be on Team Uncle Josh," Auggie said.

"Get over here, pal." In order to give the little kids a fighting chance against Riley and Maya, Josh took turns teaming up with them. The first few rounds of Hungry, Hungry Hippo had been stacked in the girls' favor. Now things were still stacked, just the other way.

"That's not fair! You guys keep winning."

"Tough luck, Riley."

"You know," Maya began, doing her best to simultaneously smile and flutter her eyelashes, "I wouldn't mind being on Team Josh." She prayed she looked cooler than she felt.

"Wow," Riley muttered.

"I don't know, Maya, it looks like you've got this game down. Maybe if we play Monopoly or the Game of Life."

"Kids, dinner," Amy's voice was heard echoing down the hall.

"He wants to buy property with me and he's in for the long haul," Maya whispered.

"Where did you get that?"

"Monopoly and Life? Those are long games full of discussion about the future and commitments."

Riley stared at her friend as though she had lost her mind. She was relieved her uncle was preoccupied with Auggie and Georgia. "Maya, go eat something. Your hunger has made you lightheaded and delirious."

/

"Why are there place cards with all of our names on them," Alan asked. Everyone had been filing over to the table to eat when they noticed the cards on the plates.

"Because," Amy began, placing her hand on Topanga's arm," we thought it would be more fun this way."

Riley found her card and realized she and Maya would be sitting directly across from her father and Shawn. While she was anxious to ask him questions, she was hesitant to sit near someone who has never given the slightest indication that he cared about her. "Mom, any chance we can change up the seating chart?"

Topanga, however, was preoccupied with matters in the kitchen and didn't hear the question. "Has anybody seen the big slotted spoon?"

Maya sat in her designated spot. "Why do you want to switch? These are perfect seats."

"What are you basing that decision on?"

"We're dead center of the table and directly across from Shawn. He'll be trapped and have no choice but to answer your questions. Think about how much of a jerk he'd be if he ignored you in front of all these people."

Somehow Riley didn't see it being that easy.

Meanwhile, Eric was getting Georgia situated at the table when he spied Shawn heading for the front door with his phone to his ear. He realized this was his chance to talk to him alone without Cory in their business. Neither he nor Angela had gotten a chance to say a simple hello because his brother was running interference. "Mama's getting your food. I'll be right back."

"But, daddy, I wanna sit with you."

To Georgia, sitting with someone at mealtime meant she was in your lap and picking food off of your plate instead of what was on her own. It also meant you had about a 230% chance of having food spilled on you. "I'll be back in a minute. I promise."

"Okay."

After making one more Cory spot check, Eric slipped out into the hall. There he found Shawn still on the phone, his back to him.

"Jack, I already said I'm willing to get together for lunch on the twenty-sixth. I'm at Cory and Topanga's right now. Why? Because I don't know your mom, stepdad, and sister that well and I don't want to spend Christmas day with strangers." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know, but your wedding is still a while off. There's plenty of time for me to meet her later." He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Eric. "Jack, I'll call you later…Yes, I will….I will!" He sighed into the phone. "Fine. Bye."

Eric wasn't sure how to start the conversation. Hi seemed pathetic and yet when he opened his mouth to speak, "Hi," is what came out. "You know, she's really nice," he added after his lame greeting fell on deaf ears.

"Who?"

"Jack's fiancée, Tabitha, she's nice."

"You met her?"

"Last year, yeah. She's some kind of brainiac scientist."

Shawn couldn't pick his brother's fiancée out of a line up, but Eric's met her? "Is this why you came out here?"

"Not really."

"Then why?"

"Me and Angela…we didn't know you were coming. We're not trying to ruin your Christmas or anything."

"Uh-huh."

"We wanted to surprise everyone because there's no guarantee she'd be given permission to fly later on since sh-she's pregnant. We're having another baby."

"I figured. She's showing already, so…." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "…kinda hard to miss."

"Right. Look-"

"Just spit it out, Eric! What's so important that you had to follow me out here?"

"If you have anything negative to say about me or Angela: say it to me. I don't want you to give Angela any crap. She needs to stay calm. It's not good for her to get upset."

"What does that mean?"

"Just don't upset her. And if you do say something… please don't say it in front of Georgia. She's completely innocent in all of this and has nothing to do with our drama."

Shawn nodded. "You really think I'd be mean to your daughter?"

"Not on purpose, no, but Georgia's a very friendly kid. She loves to talk to people. Sooner or later she's going to start a conversation with you."

"And?"

"Talk back to her and be nice. Don't stare at her with your mouth wide open like you did when you got here. Between the way you looked at her and Cory knocking her over, Georgia thought she did something wrong."

"Sorry."

The front door to the apartment opened and they both expected to see Cory standing there, but instead it was Alan,

"Everything okay out here," he asked. He knew Eric and Shawn had some things to discuss, but the longer they were gone the more concerned he became about their confrontation turning into a repeat of Mr. Feeny's retirement party. That didn't seem to be the case. There was no yelling. No one had a black eye.

"Yeah, dad, it's fine."

"Yep. Fine."

"Okay, then I suggest you both get inside before Cory comes running out demanding a transcript and footnotes."


	3. Chapter 3

"...finally I tell the guy, that with no receipt and a tent that is torn to shreds, we can't give you a refund unless you can provide proof that a bear shredded it."

"Who would fake a bear attack," Eric asked. "That's just asking for karma to get you on your next trip."

"I know. It's not as though they'd be sitting there with a camera hoping for bears to get a refund, right?"

"It looked like they took a pair of scissors to it and it reeked of alcohol. Not to mention this tent cost almost a thousand dollars: top of the line, sleeps twelve, waterproof, wind-resistant…the works. People will do a lot to try to get back that much money. You can tell the people that wanted it for a weekend splurge. It's the same type of people who buy a big screen only to try and return it after the Superbowl."

"Yeah, I might fake a bear attack for a thousand bucks."

"So, does anyone have anything interesting planned for their winter vacations," Amy questioned during another lull in the conversation. They had sat down to eat about ten minutes ago and, after praising Topanga for the food, had been rather quiet aside from the random little kid observations and comments from Auggie and Georgia. Silence was a rarity with this motley crew. Alan told the story of the tent to get conversation going.

"Gee," Maya began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I had been planning on taking it easy and sleeping in, but thanks to a certain history teacher I'm supposed to do a diorama about...something. It's something old, that much I'm sure of."

"You don't even remember what the homework is about?! Should I start planning for an epic excuse for why it's late?"

"What can I say, Mr. Matthews? Sometimes you talk so much eventually I zone out and go to my happy place. There's no homework there."

The majority of the adults at the table shared at look at the girl's tone, but Cory seemed to be oblivious and said nothing.

"Riley, what is your diorama assignment," her grandmother asked.

"It's about the history of water in civilization."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. Do you have any ideas yet?"

"A few."

Maya's hand shot up. "I call dibs on your reject ideas."

More silence.

"Shawn, where do your travels take you next?"

"I'm flying out to New Zealand right after the first."

"Oh, you're going to love it," Eric stated. "Try to check out the Cook Islands if you can. That's where we went for our last vacation a couple months before Georgia was…" He trailed off. Shawn was the last person who would want to hear about his and Angela's "babymoon" as all the books and blogs called it. "So, uh, you going to check out all the sheep? Maybe bring home a sweater?"

"New Zealand sounds great. Are you just roaming around or do you have a specific travel itinerary?"

He squirmed slightly in his chair. "The website booked me on a two week LordoftheRingstour."

He'd slurred that last part, making it nearly impossible for the group to decipher. "What kind of tour?"

" _Lord of the Rings_." He could see from the looks on everyone's faces that they were trying not to crack up. "I know, lame."

"No, it's not that," Topanga spoke up. "I enjoyed the books and movies, but I just can't picture you on any type of themed tour. You're more of a loner."

"Good money."

"On the plus side, since you've already isolated yourself in a cabin it shouldn't be too different for you. Hobbits will be new, but-"

"Topanga!" Cory didn't like the hint of an edge in his wife's voice.

"What kind of job do you have that lets you travel all over the place," Maya questioned Shawn.

"I work for a website called _Hit the Road_. I let people know if places are really worth visiting."

"Oh. I've spent some time on that site."

"A little restless?"

"No, just sometimes I think…anywhere but here."

Shawn gave a quick glance around the table. "I know the feeling."

Riley finally saw her opening. "Is that the reason you stay away and act like you hate me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Riley, what kind of ridiculous question is that," Cory exclaimed. "Shawn doesn't hate you."

"Shh," Maya admonished. "You're not talking now."

"Maya, watch it," Topanga warned.

"When is my birthday, Uncle Shawn?"

"He already knows that."

"What time was I born?"

"Shawn knows."

"How big was I?"

"He knows that, too, Riley."

"What's my favorite color?"

"Riley, he-"

"I'm not asking you, dad! I'm asking him." She glared across the table. "Why aren't you answering?"

"What," Maya chimed in, "did you forget all that as you sped out of town and left your supposed best friends in the dust?"

"Maya!"

"When is my birthday, Uncle Shawn," she asked again. He wasn't answering. He wasn't even looking at her. "You know, forget it."

Riley got up and ran from the table. The sound of her bedroom door slamming shut followed seconds later. Maya and Cory each jumped up and looked ready to follow, but Topanga had other ideas. "Nobody move. There is only one person who can fix this." She stared at her friend. "What are you waiting for, Shawn?"

"What?"

"You hurt my daughter's feelings. What are you going to do about it?"

"Wait for her to get over it? She's a kid."

She stood and walked over to Shawn. "Wrong answer."

"Topanga," Cory interjected, "sure, Riley's a little upset, but Shawn-"

"You're just as much at fault as he is. Come to think of it, I am, too. We've put his feelings ahead of our own daughter's for too long. We were so careful to try and include him and make him feel special that we didn't even realize what we were doing to Riley and how we were making her feel. That ends tonight."

"What does that mean?"

"It means either you fix things with Riley or you're not welcome in my home anymore."

"What?"

"Topanga-"

She hadn't planned to say that, but her motherly instincts were kicking in, as if she was making up for lost time. "I'm serious, Shawn. If by the time you leave here tonight that little girl is not convinced that you don't hate her, then that's it. You will no longer be welcome here. Obviously I can't stop you and Cory from being friends, I'd never want to try, but I have to protect Riley."

"Don't you think you're going a little too far? I mean we're talking about Shawn here. You'd really throw him out after the kind of life he's…"

"Cory, we're all grown up now. He can't blame the past forever."

"Still, you can't…I mean, we're all he has."

"Whose fault is that?" Her gaze once again fell to Shawn. "Go fix it."

Shawn very reluctantly rose to his feet. He had no idea how to talk to a thirteen year old girl, but knew Topanga wouldn't accept that as a plausible excuse. Hell, she'd probably throw him out on the spot if he tried it. "Okay, I-I'll try."

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"Maya, be quiet."

"No, as a matter of fact, why don't I sit in on this little talk? This way I can make sure he doesn't say the wrong thing."

"Sit down."

"Riley's great. He should love her." She tried to follow after Shawn, but Josh grabbed her arm to keep her in place. Under normal circumstances she'd be bouncing up and down at the contact, they were practically holding hands, but she was too worried about Riley. "Josh, let me go."

He looked to his parents before responding. "Only if you sit down." She wrenched free from his grip. "Maya-"

"Maya, living room, now." Topanga left the eating area and took a seat on the couch.

She looked at the rest of the table, finding people were either staring at her or at their plates. Even Auggie and Georgia were gawking. She didn't want to, every instinct said to go to Riley's room, but she followed along to the living room.

"So," Alan began, clearing his throat, "I think we need a new topic. Um… Amy?"

"What?"

"What's our new topic?"

"Really? Just throwing it to me like that?"

"Teamwork. I get points for the attempted distraction assist and you come up with the actual distraction."

/

Meanwhile, it the living room Maya was still trying to get Topanga to let her go to Riley. "I just want to check on her. That's all. I'll come right back." She gave what she hoped was a sincere look. In reality she'd barge in and act as a human shield for her best friend.

"It's best if you stay out here right now."

"But I need to make sure that Shawn apologizes right and doesn't upset her."

"Sit down," Topanga ordered. "This is between Riley and Shawn. It has nothing to do with you."

"If it involves Riley, it involves me."

"Sit down or go home. Those are your choices right now." She knew there was a high probability she was overreacting, but she saw the look on her daughter's face as she was quizzing Shawn on basic information about her. She'd witnessed the way Riley's been acting all day as she dreaded his arrival. It wasn't just today- it went back years. The only difference was younger Riley never stopped trying to engage in conversation the rare times Shawn was around. She only gave up when he would walk away. Today she was the one who chose to walk away and Riley never walked away from anyone.

Maya tried to leave, but the maternal hand on her arm had her second-guessing that strategy. "You'd send me home on Christmas Eve? Where I'd be alone with no one waiting for me?" She had no clue what her mother was up to, just that she wouldn't be there. As usual.

"Yes."

"But what if she lets him off the hook because she doesn't know how to talk to him?"

"If Cory is correct and you and Riley are him and Shawn, then Riley already knows how to talk to Shawn since she knows how to talk to you."

She crossed her arms and sank into the couch. "I suppose."

"You know, I really don't appreciate the way you've been talking to the adults here tonight. It's unacceptable."

"Even Shawn?"

"Even Shawn- though I see where you're coming from with that a little more, but I'm primarily talking about the way you speak to Cory. I hope you don't act like that in class." Silence was her answer. "I thought so. The disrespect stops tonight. Do you understand me?"

Maya nodded and stared straight ahead, suddenly finding her reflection on the blank screen of the television fascinating. "Yes," she mumbled.

"Good, because I know I'm not your mother and I technically can't punish you, but I'd hate to have to enforce consequences and limitations on the amount of time you and Riley spend together."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would. I know you've had it rough and had to grow up quick, but I refuse to tolerate that kind of blatant disrespect and mouthing off in my own home any longer. You are not the boss. We've welcomed you in and made you a part of our family. Cory thinks the world of you, both as Riley's best friend and as your own person. He has done a lot for you. Who gives you extensions in class no matter how lame and pathetic your excuses? Do I need to remind you who went out on his own, with his own money, and bought that nice little phone you have? School certainly didn't give him the budget for that." 

"No, I don't need to be reminded."

"Then you will treat him with the respect he deserves. He thinks of you as a daughter- we both do. We love you, but just as we'd punish Riley or Auggie for the behaviors you're exhibiting, I'd punish you, too. Unfortunately the only punishment I am able to enforce would be limiting the time you and Riley spend together and the time you spend over here."

Not being able to escape to the Matthews' whenever she needed? The very thought made her want to cry. "Please don't do that to me."

"You'd be doing it to yourself. This is on you. You're old enough to know how to behave. Consider this a Christmas present."

"A threat to toss me out on Christmas Eve is a present," Maya wondered in a skeptical tone. "Tell me, these past few days you've spent cooking- did you put your head in the oven at any point? Huff any cooking spray?"

"That is exactly the attitude I'm talking about. It's not going to fly here anymore."

"Sorry."

"The Christmas gift I'm giving you is this: I'm going to expect more from you. I expect you to be respectful and act your age. And you will be held accountable for your words and actions. I know it's a defense mechanism and you think you're just being funny and sarcastic, but it can get to people. I think you already know that because you certainly can't take the verbal jabs nearly as well as you can dish them out."

"That's not true. I don't care what anybody says about me."

"You turned against people and acted like the world was ending because you were called short. That remark was given in retaliation to jokes and sarcasm you were flinging at will."

"Fine! So I care a little."

"No need to get upset. I'm merely stating a fact. By the way, another fact: you _are_ short. We both are. Embrace being vertically challenged. I swear it won't affect your life in a negative way. All you need is a tall person at the grocery store to reach things off the higher shelves."

Maya wasn't finding Riley's mom's brand of humor funny at the moment. "So what do you want me to do about tonight- give some big apology to the dinner table?"

"That's up to you. But if you're feeling the need to apologize, I think you know who deserves it the most."

She looked across the room and saw that Mr. Matthews was involved in a rather animated conversation with Auggie and his parents. His eyes, however, kept darting towards the hallway where Riley and Shawn had disappeared. "Yeah," she said with a sigh, "I do."

Topanga patted the teen's hand. "Come on, let's go finish dinner. I didn't spend two days cooking for us to eat it cold."

/

/

Shawn stood outside of Riley's door and tried to work up the nerve to knock. He'd nearly gone back down by everyone else about a dozen times by now, but that would result in being kicked out and he didn't want that. He and Cory barely saw each other as it was. But if he was banned from the house they may never see each other again. After a few more false starts, his fist finally made contact with the door. "Riley, it's-it's Shawn. Can I come in?" There was no response. "Look, I know I've screwed things up- that's kind of my specialty actually," he added with a humorless laugh, "but I want to make in right. Please?" Still nothing. Shawn leaned against the door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "Okay, I can start.

"Your birthday is December 8th. You were seven pounds, four ounces and twenty-one inches long. After putting your poor mother through hell all night, you finally showed up around 6AM." He wasn't prepared when Riley flung the door open and found himself lying flat on his back, staring up at her. He could tell she had been crying. "Did I pass the test?"

"Why do you remember it so well?"

"I was there. I was in the waiting room the whole time. I was the first person to hold you after your parents. You looked like a scrunched up, angry version of your dad with your mom's hair. You got lucky with that."

Riley walked back into her room and took a seat on her bed. "So, you sat in a waiting room all night. That doesn't mean anything."

He got up off the floor, a move that was required slightly more effort the older he got, and came into the bedroom. It looked like an average teen girl's room, at least he thought so. He hadn't been in a thirteen year old girl's bedroom since he was about thirteen. "Is it okay if I sit," he asked, pulling out the chair.

"Whatever."

Shawn skimmed the pictures that adorned her wall. Pictures with Maya, with her parents and brother, with grandparents, and a photo of her with Eric and Angela in her little flower girl dress from their wedding. The frame looked nearly identical to the tiara she was wearing in the picture- silver and sparkly. "There is another reason I remember the day you were born so clearly."

"What is it?"

"It's also the day I left New York."

She was quiet for several long moments as she digested this piece of information. "So you did leave because of me."

"No, no, Riley I left because of me. I looked at you and I saw how your parents looked at you and it just drilled into my skull everything I didn't have and everything I wanted."

"Where did you go?"

"I roamed around a little, but then I decided I had to see Angela. She was living in England and finishing up college at Oxford." In reality his very first stop was to Jack's stepdad to ask for the money to travel to England. Though, he insisted on working for the man just long enough to earn it- anything to lessen the humiliation of needing to ask. The man offered him the money as a gift, saying if Shawn was Jack's family then they were family. He refused and was stuck in a mailroom for a couple weeks while people were on their Christmas vacations.

"Wow, she went to Oxford?"

"Yeah, she's always been smart." He took a deep breath. "When I got there I asked her to marry me."

She made a face. "Then how did she end up with Uncle Eric?"

"I thought we should get married then and there. I wanted us to start our lives immediately and have what Cory and Topanga had. Angela…she had other plans. She was willing to live together or get engaged, but she wasn't ready to get married yet. She loved me, but she wanted to finish school, start her career. Get more life experience. She wasn't ready and I was. That was a problem we couldn't get past." He'd leave out the details of that particular day. No need to make himself look worse by mentioning the ultimatum he gave and how Angela was in tears when he left. "After that I was completely alone."

"You didn't have to be. You could've come back."

Shawn shook his head and smiled sadly. "No, I couldn't. Things change when your friends get married and start a family. It's never going to be the same no matter how much you insist it will. I was left out. Left behind." He hesitantly moved to the edge of her bed. "Riley, your parents are the best people I know."

"Then you should love me, too."

"I do. You're exactly like your parents. You come from them, so I love you, too."

"So, you don't love me for me, you love me for them? That's such a copout."

He wondered how he ended up having to defend himself to a thirteen year old. "No, it's not. You got the best of Cory and Topanga, and I'm not just talking about the hair. I could tell from the day you were born how amazing you were going to be. It's just looking at you and your family…it hurts. I wish I had what you guys have. That's why I stay away. It's easier to be gone than it is to deal with the rest of it."

"But Uncle Shawn, you do have what we have. You're a part of our family. You just need to come around more."

"I'll try." She nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Is your mom going to have to kick me out or are we okay?"

"If you really mean it when you say you'll try we will be."

"I can live with those conditions." He was thrown when Riley came over and gave him a hug. "Oh, a hugger, huh? You are Cory, Jr. ."

/

/

"Eric, Angela, do you have a name picked out for my new granddaughter yet," Amy pondered. Everyone had tried to keep conversation going in Riley and Shawn's absence.

"We've got a few ideas we're tossing around."

"Like?"

"She would already be named if your son would agree to Allegra."

"After the allergy medicine?"

Eric threw an arm up in the air. "Thank you, dad! See, told you. That's the first thing people would say if we named her Allegra. You just need to get on board with Cecilia."

"What if she has a lisp? The name would be torture. Plus, you don't like the way it's pronounced in Italian. You think it sounds like chinchilla."

"So?"

"We live in Italy, babe."

He shrugged. "We could always go back to France." They had lived just outside of Paris for the first few years of their marriage. It's where Georgia was born. They moved when Angela got the job offer from _Vogue_ a couple years ago.

"Not over a name, no. We do both like Gemma," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but Georgia and Gemma sound a little matchy so we're still not sure if…" He stopped talking when Shawn and Riley returned to the room.

"Is everything okay," Topanga asked.

"I think it will be, mom," Riley responded as she slid back into her chair beside Maya, not at all surprised when she was greeted with a hug.

"Really?"

"Yes, Topanga," Shawn answered. "I'm going to be around more. Or I'm going to try to be around more anyway."

Cory stood up. "You mean it, Shawnie?"

"Yes, Cor, I'm going to try." He put extra emphasis on that final word.

"Yay!" He ran over to his best friend.

"Again with the hugging?"

"Sit down and finish dinner," Topanga said. "I kept it warm for you guys."

"What are you guys talking about," he wondered, almost positive the conversation had been revolving around him while he was gone.

"Angela and Eric are going to name the new kid after medicine or a rodent," Josh said.

"You're what?"

"Josh, that's not true."

Georgia stood up on her father's leg and leaned across the table to address her uncle. "My sister's name is Bear. She is Baby Sister Bear because I am already number one Sister Bear."

"Fine, or a great big scary mammal."

Eric winced and attempted to get her back in his lap. "Georgia, sit down."

"Ouch." Angela rubbed her leg in the spot where her daughter's foot had accidentally hit. She realized a couple key pieces of her ensemble were missing. "What happened to your shoes?"

"I'm not wearing shoes, mama."

"I can see that. What did you do with them?"

"What shoes?"

_'Was it possible for your three year old to be deliberately obstinate'_ , she wondered. _'Were they that advanced in their thinking?'_ "You know what shoes I mean; the shiny black ones with the little bows on the straps."

She clapped her hands together. "Those are my most favorite shoes! But I like my fluffy purple boots that can be slippers, too."

Angela put her hands on her daughter's cheeks and looked her in the eye. "Georgia, focus. I'm only going to ask one more time. Where did you put your shoes?"

"Found them," Topanga called out and held them up. "They were in my vegetable crisper, right next to the lettuce." She had gone to the refrigerator for more butter and saw the black shoes through the translucent drawer.

"Why did you put your shoes in the fridge," Eric asked. He was also curious as to when she had the opportunity to ditch the footwear in an apartment full of adults. Not to mention they had just been sitting here eating and he was almost positive she was wearing her shoes when they sat down.

"My feet were hot."

Amy and Alan were unsuccessful in choking back their laughter. There was something so rewarding about watching their kids go through the same things they put them through many years ago. "You can't argue with that three year old logic," the grandfather stated, not bothering to hide his merriment.

"Your shoes don't belong in the fridge. Only food and drinks go in there."

"I made a mistake?" She stuck out her bottom lip. She always wanted to do things the right way and hated making mistakes.

Angela nodded. "Yes."

"Can I put stuff in the freezer?"

"No, that would be a mistake, too. Only food goes into the freezer- food and ice cubes."

"We better call Mr. Feeny because I made a big mistake in the freezer today."

"It could be worse," Amy noted with a chuckle as Angela scrambled for her phone. "At least she's not sticking stuff in the toaster oven like her Aunt Morgan."

Eric put his hands over his daughter's ears. "Shh, don't give her ideas."


	4. Chapter 4

Shawn leaned against the wall in the hallway. He'd been on his way back from the bathroom when he heard voices coming from Riley's room. The moment he realized Angela and Georgia were in there he knew he should continue back to join everyone else. But he couldn't seem to help himself, however. He always was a glutton for punishment.

/

"Are you ready to go back out to the living room?" The past few days had been long for Angela and her family involving lots of travel, time zone changes, and unfamiliar sleeping quarters for Georgia. To be honest it was a miracle it had taken her daughter this long to have a complete meltdown. A squabble with Auggie over a particular cookie in the shape of a Christmas tree was the trigger. Offering a different cookie was useless. She'd wanted _that_ cookie. It had taken a while for her tears to subside, but she was finally calm again.

The three year old climbed into her mother's lap and tried to get close. "Mama, move it."

"What?" Little hands were now pushing on her stomach. "Georgia, what are you doing?"

"I wanna sit with you." She gave another tiny shove to the belly that housed her sister. "Move it."

She would've laughed if her daughter didn't look so heartbroken. "I can't. Sister Bear is in here." She attempted to hold Georgia's hands against her stomach to feel the baby kick, but the girl wasn't having it. "She needs the space to grow and get bigger and stronger until one day she is as strong as you are. That means my belly is going to keep growing and getting bigger until Bear is born and comes home to live with us."

"No more cuddles?" She was positively distressed at this point. "I can no more sit in your lap?"

"Come here, baby." She lifted her up and held her tight, just above her burgeoning midsection. This move would likely be difficult once she was showing more, but it worked for now. "See, we can still cuddle." She kissed her forehead. "You can cuddle with me and Bear at the same time."

"No Sister Bear cuddles- only Georgia and mama."

As much as she worried about future sibling rivalries, Angela selfishly loved the times when Georgia would lay claim to her. She was normally such a daddy's girl. "When you were in my belly you made it really big, too."

"I did?"

"Oh, yes," she noted with a laugh. "My belly was so much bigger than it is right now. It was so big that Thor couldn't get into my lap for pets." Bringing up their cat was usually a good way to get a smile. "And when I would dance with daddy, I had to stand sideways a little so we could hug and dance close."

"Really?"

"Really. My clothes didn't fit and I couldn't see my feet when I looked down. And because I couldn't see my feet anymore, one day I went to a big fancy conference at work wearing two different colored shoes." The giggles were music to her ears. "I looked very silly."

"Your feet disdapeared? That's funny, mama."

"Yes, it is funny now. I wasn't laughing back then." It had been difficult enough to find something that both looked professional and was third trimester comfortable- especially in the sweltering summer weather. Showing up at a big fashion conference wearing one red heel and one black heel was...well, she wound up crying in a stall in the ladies' room. Luckily a few fellow conference attendees offered up stories of commiseration and made her feel better, even convinced her to try and pass off her shoe mishap as a growing fashion trend. It never did catch on.

"Can I wear two different shoes tomorrow?"

You were only a little kid once and only then did you get to wear mismatched clothes without people questioning your sanity. "Sure." Georgia wrapped an arm around her neck and laid her head to rest on her shoulder. Angela placed her cheek lightly over her daughter's mop of curls. "Are you ready to go back out there now, Little Miss? I think it's almost time to open presents."

"You sing me my song first?"

"Of course I will." She'd heard countless times how fleeting these moments would be- where her little girl would willingly sit and cuddle instead of trying to break free to run off and explore the world around her- and Angela intended to cherish every bit of it. She wiped away the last evidence of Georgia's tears and kissed her forehead before launching into the song she's used to soothe her daughter since she was an infant- _Georgia on My Mind_. " _Georgia...Georgia..._ "

Shawn had forgotten what a beautiful voice Angela had. Perhaps it wasn't what one would call technically perfect, but she always sang from her heart. And right now, listening to her sing to her daughter? There had never been such love in her voice. He closed his eyes and for a few moments tried to imagine that it was his family in there, that Angela was singing to _their_ daughter and soothing frayed nerves and tantrums. It so easily could've been. If only he had been more patient with her all those years ago. If only he'd been willing to wait. It's amazing how one decision could change the course of your life forever.

"'Scuse me, Zio Shawn, but easy-dropping isn't nice."

His eyes popped open at the sound of her voice. "What?" What did Cory say zio meant again? Uncle? Why was she calling him Uncle Shawn?

"No easy-dropping. It is not the polite thing to do."

Angela smiled. She and Eric had to have lots of talks with their daughter lately about minding her own business and respecting other people's privacy. At least some of their conversations seemed to be seeping into her brain, for now anyway. "Georgia, you mean eavesdropping. Eavesdropping on personal conversations is not polite."

"Oh, uh-I-I wasn't," he stammered. "I was just coming back from the bathroom."

"You wash your hands?"

"Georgia, stop."

"But you and daddy always tell me wash my hands after I go potty and use the flusher."

"I did wash my hands," he answered. "I used soap, too." He figured that would be next in her round of twenty questions. "My hands smell like vanilla now."

She seemed satisfied. "Good. Mama, can I go play?"

"Yes."

"Can I have a cookie?"

"Yes, but ask daddy or another grownup to get it for you."

She squirmed free from her mother's arms and ran for the door.

"And remember, what's the first thing you are going to do when you go back to the living room?"

"Say please for my cookie?"

"Well, yes, I want you to say please, but who are you apologizing to?"

Shawn almost cracked a smile when Georgia turned around to stare at her mother. She pouted and let out a little sigh. The look of annoyance along with her crossed arms and head cocked to the side was pure Angela.

"I tell Auggie that I sorry for hitting him even if he ate my cookie," she answered.

"No, that cookie never belonged to…Right. You apologize for hitting him." Pick your battles, Angela reminded herself. It was enough for now that she remembered she needed to apologize. Semantics could be worked on later.

Georgia took a few hurried steps into hall before turning around and running back. She crouched down and reached just under the hems of Angela's flared jeans. "Don't worry, mama. You still have them."

"What are you talking about, Little Miss? What do I have?"

"Your feet, they didn't disdappear yet like they did that time I was in your belly. And your shoes are the same brown boots."

It was a tossup who made Angela smile more: Georgia or her daddy. "Thank you, baby. Go get your cookie now." This time there was no hesitation when the girl ran out of the room. Angela looked to Shawn and started laughing again at his blank expression. "I was just explaining that when I was pregnant with her I couldn't see my feet. Her brain apparently translated that to I had no feet."

"I heard. Cute." That was about all the spontaneous conversation he could muster. The silence that followed wasn't the comfortable quiet he'd found with Angela in the past: the kind where they could sit beside each other and say nothing, yet say everything at the same time. This silence was heavy and awkward and filled with all the things he wished he had said to her when he had the chance.

"How have you been?"

"I…I've been. I-you know, I work a lot, travel to a lot of different places. I keep busy."

"I always knew you'd go back to photography. You're good. And you've traveled to some amazing locations."

"You've seen my stuff?" He was surprised. After the way their relationship ended and what happened the last time they were face to face and he scuffled with Eric, he thought she'd washed her hands of him. He wouldn't have blamed her.

"I want to know that you're doing okay. I still care about you."

It was probably best not to delve too deeply into that. "Georgia seems like a great kid." He was relieved when Angela lit up, immediately losing the concerned look on her face that she's had every time she glanced his way. "She's got a big personality." ' _Just like Eric_ ,' he couldn't help but think.

"Georgia is…she's everything: my pride and joy, my happiness, proof that there is good in this world. I don't think I could put into words how much she's changed my life- changed me as a person- in ways I never thought possible. There are times when I just sit and watch her- amazed that I get to be her mom. I still watch her sleep most nights," she admitted with a chuckle. "You'd think after three years I'd be over that part, but it's still so amazing to me that she's here and she's mine and I have the privilege of being her mama."

"What's it like having a kid, being a parent?"

"This morning I was woken up at four in the morning by a kid who claimed she was still sleepy and wanted to stay in bed, but her doll wanted a candy cane off of Mr. Feeny's Christmas tree- so we should really go get one." She shrugged. "I was just happy I got to sleep until four."

Shawn knew what she was doing: keeping things light, trying to avoid any awkwardness. While admirable, it seemed nearly impossible given the circumstances. "Cory always told me his life began the day Riley was born."

"I don't know if I'd put it like that," Angela answered slowly, searching for the words to describe what she felt. She'd done a lot of living and experienced and accomplished so much before becoming a mother. Even the negative things helped shape the person she was today. It was impossible to discount the pre-Georgia part of her life as a life not lived. "I think I just had something else to live for."

"Huh." That was easier to understand than the sunshine, rainbows, and puppy parade that Cory presented parenthood as.

"You know that scene in _The Wizard of Oz_ where Dorothy emerges from the house after the tornado? And everything is so bright and rich and colorful?" He nodded. "That's how I felt. It was like seeing colors I never knew existed before. This whole new world became open to me. The moment Georgia was in my arms our eyes locked and…" She shook her head in wonder. "…I was meant to be hers' and she was meant to be mine. There is not a doubt in my mind I was always meant to be Georgia's mama. It was as if my entire life unfolded the way it had to bring us together. The hurt, the pain, the loneliness, and tears…it was part of the journey that led me to her." She made a face. "God, I've turned into such a sap. Dangers of having a conversation with a writer- apparently we can wax poetic about anything."

"Is it scary?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm scared every day. I'm so afraid of screwing up and failing them." She placed her hands on her ever-growing abdomen. She couldn't forget about her little baby Bear. "Right now my biggest fear is not having the kind of instant connection with the new baby that I felt with Georgia. I write about that kind of stuff a lot. Writing is what saved my sanity when I was pregnant the first time. I was having so many thoughts and fears racing through my mind. Just because I've been through it before doesn't mean I'm fearless."

Shawn used to read her blog, _The Motherless Mother_ , regularly. Angela held nothing back. What did her own mother walking out say about her as a person? Was she fundamentally unlovable? How could she expect to be a mother with only that example as her guide? She laid bare all the insecurities that plagued her. It was one of the bravest, most honest things he's ever read. There were countless times he'd wanted to contact her, offer some form of reassurance and support, but he could never work up the nerve. She was the one who reached out to him. You could've knocked him over with a feather when he answered the phone and she was on the other end. "Then why did you call me?"

She thought back to that night over three years ago. A nightmare had been the catalyst. She knew it was odd to reach out to him of all people. After all, they hadn't spoken in years. She almost called Topanga or Amy, but they would just spout quaint platitudes about how everything was going to work out. She didn't want platitudes. She wanted the truth. "I was seven months pregnant and freaking the hell out. You were the only person who understood why I was afraid and I trusted you to be straight with me and tell me if I could do it….or-or if I'd end up just like her."

While the blog was an outlet for her scarier thoughts, it also served as a love letter to her husband and their unborn child. There seemed to be just as many entries celebrating pregnancy milestones, excitement about the baby, and gushing over how wonderful and supportive Eric was. He listened and held her as she cried, trying in vain to understand something that would forever be out of his scope. She'd mentioned multiple times how grateful she was that they'd stumbled back into each other's orbit when they needed someone the most. The words were easy enough to block out and Shawn found himself focusing on the fact that Angela had someone who loved her and she was happy. The pictures, however, the pictures were stabs to the heart and couldn't be ignored. He stopped reading shortly after Georgia was born. A snapshot of the new family napping together was his breaking point.

"I knew you'd nail the whole family thing. And now look at you," he said, clapping his hands together, "married and well on your way to that ideal number of 2.3 kids. I'm sure you've got a nice place to live in Milan, too, maybe even a white picket fence. All you're missing is a dog and then we could slap your family's picture on one of those credit card or insurance company commercials that promises to help people have it all."

Angela frowned at the sarcasm that seeped through the end of his statement. "No white picket fences over here. And I don't think the cat would appreciate it if we brought home a dog."

"I can't believe you let Eric keep his ex-girlfriend's cat," he muttered before getting up to walk around the room.

"It's not the cat's fault his old owner was a b…was someone who'd ditch her pet because her new boyfriend didn't like it." She watched as he looked out Riley's bedroom window before sitting down. "What is it, Shawn?"

"I always knew you'd be amazing- nothing like your mother, or my mother, or my dad…but I just…I thought my view of it would be a lot different."

"What do you mean?"

"It shouldn't be you and Eric," he whispered. "It was supposed to be us."

"Shawn-"

"Together, side by side as we took our broken pieces of family and created something we could be proud of. And we would never leave, not ever. Even if things were going wrong we'd stay because we know the damage leaving causes." He stared at her. "Don't you ever think about us- what could've been?"

"I used to. I was devastated when we ended and it took a long time for me to get over you. I buried myself in school because I couldn't even think about dating and putting myself out there. I was terrified of being hurt again, of having someone else I loved walk out of my life."

He'd never thought of it as him walking out on her. In his mind she was the one who gave up. It never occurred to him that Angela could see it any other way.

"But," she continued, "after some pep talks with my dad eventually I realized that living in the past and wondering what if was not the way to go about life. Life only moves forward. As Heraclitus said, 'All is flux and nothing stays still.'"

"So, you don't think about us anymore and wonder-"

"Not in the way you mean, no." Angela didn't want to hurt him, but she wasn't going to lie. "Eric and I have been married for six years. We're about to have our second child. I love him and our family very much. I'm proud of the life we've built together."

"Then what was I? What were we? Just a pothole on your road to motherhood?"

"That's not fair."

"No, really, what was I? Was I just the guy that brought you and Eric into each other's lives so you could hook up later?"

"You were my first love and there's always going to be a part of me that loves you, but we broke up and I had to find a way to live with that and move on. You wanted to get married and I wasn't ready. That was our giant fork in the road."

"You sure seemed to get over that fear."

"You say that like I ran out and got married the next night. It took years." She rubbed gentle circles on her stomach, feeling the muscles of her abdomen begin to tighten. "You-you're the road not taken."

"What kind of bullshit excuse is that?"

"Stop it," she pleaded quietly.

"That's honestly the best you can come up with- the road not taken?"

"Shawn-"

"We were going to be just like Cory and Topanga."

"I never wanted to be them."

"Yes, you did. You even said so."

Angela took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Her little Bear needed her to stay steady. "When?"

"Countless times: when we were talking about looking forward to having our own crappy apartment to fix up like they had their dorm room, when we were inspired enough to go to the grocery store at ten at night and had our own "food fight" because theirs' looked like so much fun, and at Barelli's! You said it all the way back at Barelli's."

"What's Barelli's?"

How could she forget Barelli's? "It was where we had our first date, not our first first date, but the second one. I wore a tie and the waiter wanted us to eat this fancy food I couldn't pronounce. He was disgusted when we made him bring us-"

"Burgers and fries," she finished with a smile. "Don't forget the ketchup."

"You remember."

"Of course I remember, Shawn. I forgot the name of the restaurant, but not the date. It was fun…and scary."

"And it's where you said you wanted to be Cory and Topanga."

Angela thought back to that night so many years ago. A lot of details had grown hazy with time, but she remembered what he was getting at. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you-"

"I said I wanted what they had, not that I wanted to be just like them."

"What's the difference?"

"I wanted someone to love and trust, to know that someone was always going to be there for me and have my back no matter what life threw at us. I never wanted our relationship to be a mirror image of theirs'."

"Who wouldn't want to be like them? They are the best people I know."

"I love them dearly and they are a great couple, but they present a skewed version of themselves. I've lost count of how many times their ages have changed in the story of how they met and supposedly fell in love. They're younger every time. Why is that?"

He never realized that his friends did that. They were young when they got together. He was there. They all seemed really young back then. "I don't know."

"Eric jokes that eventually they're going to backtrack so far that the story will be that Amy and Topanga's mom got together when they were both pregnant and pressed their stomachs together so pre-Cory and pre-Topanga could have dates." She couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "And when that doesn't go back far enough for them, we'll start hearing about past lives and how they were perfect even then."

Shawn choked on his laughter. He didn't want to be amused at a joke Eric and Angela shared. "Now that's just crazy talk. Then again, it is Eric, so…"

"Watch it," she warned. "All I'm saying is that the truth is a pretty great: high school sweethearts still together after all these years. Why muck it up with embellishments? It shouldn't matter in the end if they dated other people first or broke up a few times. That's real." Angela got up and began to walk around the room as the tightness in her belly persisted. She continued to rub slow circles on her stomach as she took steady, deep breaths. "Sometimes it seems like they don't want to be in love in the real world. They want to be in love in a freaking Disney movie where everything is perfect and there is always a fairytale ending."

"So, if they're the Disney version, does that make our relationship more the brothers' Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far, but we're not strangers to the darker, grittier side of life. It doesn't always end with a fairytale. There's not always the happily ever after with cartoon birds and mice singing. Cory and Topanga put themselves on such a high pedestal and that's dangerous. When you're up that high it doesn't take much to send you down."

"But they're Cory and Topanga, the best couple that-"

"Shawn, the only people left who still believe in that idealized version of Cory and Topanga are Cory, Topanga, and you. And if you continue chasing that false, unattainable vision you're never going to be happy."

He was quiet. Angela's words weighed heavy on his mind. Were Cory and Topanga really as perfect as he thought? Or were they only perfect in his eyes because he needed them to be? Their relationship was one of the few constants in his ever changing life.

/

/

"So, come on, tell me what Shawn said," Maya prodded Riley. Dinner had ended a while ago and Mrs. Matthews said they were going to have a "socialization hour" before presents. She thought it was bull, and eventually got her friend to admit that a few presents missed getting wrapped in all the worry over dinner preparations and that was the reason for the delay.

"Maya, I already told you."

"But I want a word for word playback."

"Then I guess you should've put a wire on me before I left the room."

"Ooh, good thought for next time."

"No."

"Yes."

"Maya, no."

"But how else am I supposed to be sure that Shawn won't be a jerk and hurt your feelings again?"

"I'm not saying that he's suddenly my favorite person or I'm okay with him, because I'm not, but how about we give him a chance to not be a jerk first?"

She shrugged. "Sure, I guess if you want to live your life trusting people to be good."

"That's my plan- innocent until proven guilty, remember?"

"Not in my…" She trailed off when Josh walked towards her. In one hand he had construction paper and a box of crayons, in the other he held Georgia's hand. "Oh, Josh, hi." She flashed a grin at him. "What's up?"

"Georgia wanted me to help her draw a picture, but I'm not that good at art."

"No, you are not," the three year old stated in the honest tone only small children could get away with.

"Hey. Anyway, I told her that you were really good at drawing and stuff so I thought you could give her a hand."

Maya giggled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. They were moves she'd endlessly mocked other girls for, yet here she was. "That's so sweet of you to think of me. Of course I can help you, Georgia."

"I just need help getting my circles right. Mama always helps me 'cause circles are hard."

"You're right, they can be tricky. What about Uncle Josh," she questioned, turning her attention back to her crush. "Do you need help with circles, too?"

"Nah, I've gotten this far not being able to draw. Just help the kid."

She watched as he walked back to the living room where Auggie was waiting with a box of Legos spread out on the coffee table. "Oh, okay."

"So pathetic," Riley muttered.

"What is?"

"You." She mimicked her friend's fluttering eyes and hair tosses. Soon Georgia was joining in, though she didn't understand why or what was going on. "Never gonna happen, Maya."

She roughly pulled the construction paper across the table and dumped out the crayons. "Let's draw circles."

/

"Eric, how is work?"

"Not bad. I wasn't sure how I would like working at the airport at first, but it's been pretty fun. It's definitely never dull."

"You work at the airport," Cory questioned. "Since when?"

"Almost two years now. You knew this."

"Please tell me they don't let you fly planes."

"No, Cor."

"You don't have the right personality for air traffic control either. You're too jokey."

"I'm not an air traffic controller."

"What's left?"

"My official title is Aviation Meteorologist- or avionic technician."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means I go over the forecasts and give info to the dispatchers and pilots." It definitely wasn't where he saw himself when he was studying weather. He'd always dreamed of being on TV and for a little while he was. Then he reconnected with Angela and they began their lives together. He'd made a few professional sacrifices- they both did- for the sake of their growing family. He had no regrets about that. Now he wasn't just affecting the people who watched a broadcast. He had an impact on everyone who flew in and out of his airport. It wasn't a responsibility he took lightly. "For example, if it looks like there's going to be turbulence at a certain altitude, I give them a head's up so they know what altitude to aim for."

"So, you're to blame for any bumpy flight I've been on?"

Eric stared at his brother for a moment before turning his attention back to his parents. "Did you guys get the anniversary present me and Angela sent?"

"We did."

"I'm guessing you're the one to blame?"

"Oh, Alan, stop it. It was a lovely gift."

"I know, I think it's funny, but who thinks up personalized bobble heads?"

"You're just creeped out by how realistic they are."

"Well, maybe a little. It's the eyes, they follow you."

"Speaking of anniversaries," Amy started, smiling at her son, "you and Angela…six years, huh?"

"As of yesterday, yep." He shook his head in wonder. "Sometimes I still can't believe I got so lucky."

"Obviously you didn't get our anniversary gift yet since I shipped it to your house."

"That's okay. A neighbor is holding it for us until we get home."

"Did you do anything yesterday or just stay hidden where we wouldn't run into you?"

"We went out to dinner. Georgia stayed with Mr. Feeny and-"

"You had George and Lila babysit? Eric, she's so active and they're getting older and-"

"Mom, Josh came over to help out."

"Oh, good."

"By the way, totally telling Feeny that you called him old," he said with a smirk.

/

/

"There is one thing I need to know," Angela stated.

Shawn ran his hands through his hair. This conversation hadn't been easy. "Okay."

"What did you honestly expect my reaction to be when you gave me that ultimatum? You had to know I wouldn't react well."

"I never thought I'd have to give one. I figured you'd say yes when I proposed. As the words were coming out of my mouth I knew it was a mistake, but I thought…hoped…" He stared at his feet. "I hoped if you thought you'd lose me for good that it would be enough for you to say yes."

"Why would you even want to start a marriage like that?"

"I wanted to be with you. How I got that ending didn't matter."

"I was willing to be with you, Shawn, I was. I was happy to get engaged or live together for a while so we could figure things out together. I never said no to your proposal. I asked for time. The only thing I ever asked you for was time. You refused to give it to me."

"I wanted us to be married, to start our lives together. Cory and Topanga just had Riley and were-" He was struck by how influential his friends were in his life and relationships, even detrimental at times it seemed.

"It wasn't a race."

And yet he always felt like he was on the losing end. "I know. I just wanted to be with you. I thought you felt the same."

"That's not fair. Didn't you just hear me say all I wanted was some time? Stop blaming me and take some damn responsibility for your actions for once in your life! It's not always someone else's fault."

"I don't…" Shawn stopped talking. Angela was no longer paying attention to him. She was leaning against the wall and breathing slowly. He rushed over to her. "What's wrong? Did I do something? If I did I'm sorry…so sorry. Should I get Eric?"

She held up her hand to stop the rapid succession of questions. "I'm fine. It's just stupid Braxton Hicks contractions. They've been happening for a little bit."

"Isn't it too early for you to be having contractions? You're not big enough to…I mean, it's too early, right?"

"Braxton Hicks are more like practice contractions. They're a big pain in the ass. I had them when I was pregnant with Georgia. I even spent a night in the hospital after they were triggered by a panic attack. Come to think of it, that was the same night I called you."

"Good to hear I helped," he said sarcastically.

She chuckled and visibly relaxed. "You did. I was just too far gone down the rabbit hole by the time I called. It's okay. I seem to get them most when I'm upset or stressed out or when I accidentally push my body further than I should."

"That's why Eric warned me not to upset you," he concluded. "I'm sorry."

"Eric talked to you?"

"It was more like he gave vague, over-protective threats, but-"

"Zio Shawn! Zio Shawn!"

He spun around and saw Georgia standing there. It was still weird hearing her call him uncle. "Yes?"

"What is your favorite aminal?"

Shawn didn't know how to speak kid. "My favorite-"

"Do you like puppies or kitty cats or giraffes or moo cows?"

Oh... _animal_..."Well-"

"My favorite aminal is a hippo, but mama and daddy said I could have no hippo. I ask Babbo Natale to give it to me."

"They're too big for his sleigh, baby."

"Pigs," he answered. "I like pigs, pot-belly pigs." He couldn't help but smile when Georgia giggled. She threw her entire body into the laugh. "I used to have a pet pig."

"You did?"

"Yep."

"What was his name?"

"Little Cory." She laughed again. "He was a fun pet."

"Mama, can I have a pig?"

Angela glared at Shawn. "Thor would be afraid of a pig, don't you think?"

"I tell them to be friends."

"We don't have enough room at home. We can visit pigs at the zoo."

"But-"

"Georgia, no."

She sighed overdramatically. "Can I ask Zio Shawn my one more question?"

"Yes."

"What color is your favorite?"

"My favorite color? Wow, I don't know."

"Daddy likes blue, mama likes purple, and I like orange and purple and red."

"Green, I like green."

"Okay." She turned around and ran out of the room.

"What was that about," he questioned.

"Beats me."

"And moo cow?"

Angela laughed. "When Georgia was learning about animals and the noises they make she couldn't remember if a cow mooed or meowed. Me and Eric started moo cows so she'd remember. It's all good in theory, except now we also call them moo cows. A few weeks ago we were on the train and he pointed out a field full of _moo cows_. Georgia was home with a sitter and the people across from us thought we were insane." She reached out at hit Shawn's arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For planting the idea of a pet pig in my kid's head."

"How was I supposed to know not to mention Little Cory?"

"Kids are very impressionable. You talk about it and they want it."

"Wow."

"What?"

He once again took a seat by the window. "You really are a mom."

"Yes, I'm a mama." Angela didn't know why he was saying it as if it was new information.

"And your married to Eric."

"Also true." She took a seat beside him. "Shawn, just because it didn't work out between us, that doesn't mean it can't work with someone else. I want you to be happy."

"I don't know if I can just rush into a new relationship."

"We've been over for nearly thirteen years. It's not rushing at that point."

Thirteen years? Where had all that time gone? "Has it really been that long?"

"It's okay. Take what you learned from our relationship and let it help you in your next one." She could see that he was skeptical. "Do you want to know what I learned from our relationship? I learned that I deserved to be loved just as much as the next person. My mother leaving didn't have to define me. I also learned what I did and didn't want in a relationship and how I wanted to be loved. I don't think I would've learned that without you."

"Are you thanking me for your marriage and kid…soon to be kids?"

"You certainly played a part in my journey to get here." Angela put her hand on his arm. "My dad told me something once; I think he thought it would help me deal with my mom. He said that life always knows what it is doing. People come into our lives and sometimes they stick around and other times they leave long before we're ready for them to. But every person who comes to us is there to teach us a lesson. We have to choose to learn."

"Picture an actual future without you in it?" Until her wedding happened he still held some hope of her calling it off and returning to him. Hell, even after she was married…he wasn't proud of those thoughts.

"You'll always have me as a friend if you want. But yeah, you have to say good-bye to the image of us you've held in your head all these years. I'm letting myself off the hook."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are no longer allowed to blame me and our failed relationship for the current state of your life. You can't blame Eric either. From now on it's all on you."

"Huh?"

"Topanga was right with what she said earlier. We're not kids anymore. We're getting closer to forty than thirty."

"Don't remind me," he grumbled.

"I think there's a statute of limitations for how long you get to blame someone else for your life. At some point you have to own it and your decisions. Do you think if I woke up one morning and decided to- decided that I didn't want to be a…a wife and mom anymore…" She paused to keep her emotions in check. It was painful to even think about. "…do you think I'd still get to blame my mother?"

"Well…yeah."

"I don't. I refuse to live my life under the cloud of what she did any longer. I had to start living for me and my family and stopped making choices solely based on her actions. Just like I had to stop being angry at you for giving me that ultimatum and breaking my heart."

"So I don't be angry at Chet, Virna, and whoever my biological mother was?"

"I'm not saying it's easy, but believe me when I say you will feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. You'll be free. Your life won't be dictated by them and their limitations. One thing that's always been true about you: you dwell and hold on to all of your anger and pain until it becomes such a part of you that you don't know how to move past it. Sometimes it seems like you don't want to."

"It's easier to be angry at them- and you and Eric- instead of doing deep soul searching."

"Believe me, I get it and I'm not saying I'm 100% successful at this and I do allow myself some negative thoughts and time to be angry, but I had to let her go. Her tainted legacy was eating me up and filling me with doubts about my own abilities. Therapy helps."

"Like a head shrink? I don't think that's for me."

"Self-help books, then," she suggested. "It's okay to move on. If you're looking for permission…you have it. Go be happy."

"You say that like it's simple."

"I know it's not easy, but I also know it's possible." There was a knock and she saw Eric standing there. "Hey, babe. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just time for presents," he answered slowly. He'd thought Angela had been with Topanga all this time helping her with last-minute wrapping. When Georgia innocently said something about her and Shawn he decided to investigate, wanting to be sure Shawn had listened to him. "You know the tight schedule Topanga likes to keep. That she had to delay things because of her own mistake is driving her crazy."

Shawn stood. "Crazy Topanga can be a fun one to watch. I'll see you out there," he said to Angela. When he got to the doorway Eric was still standing there. "You're a very lucky man."

He looked to his wife. She was smiling down at her bump and talking softly. "Yeah, I am."

"Don't ever forget it." There was more they should say to each other, a lot more, but he didn't have the emotional energy right now.

What did that mean? "I won't." As soon as they were alone he walked over to Angela and held out his hands to help her stand. "Is everything really okay?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Yes. We just talked. It was a conversation that was long overdue."

"No Braxton Hicks or anything? Because you know whenever you get upset-"

"I did have a couple, but it was nothing bad. Mostly tightness, no pain."

"Swear?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She placed his hands on her stomach. "And Baby Bear is so fine she's decided to practice her kicking. And Georgia is over her tantrum so she'll be fine until…"

"…until the next one," he finished with a chuckle.

"Right. Now let's get out there before Topanga has a tantrum about us pushing back her schedule even more." Eric grabbed onto her hands when she tried to leave the room. "What is it? What are you doing?"

"No regrets, right?"

"No regrets about what?"

"I don't know…us? This is the first time you've seen Shawn in years and-" He was cut off by her kiss. "I'll take that as a no," he said a minute or two later.

"How can you even ask that after all we've been through?"

It had been a big fear of his when they first got together- that she'd change her mind and want to go back to Shawn. He hadn't had those thoughts in years. "Momentary weakness I suppose."

"My only regret is that Shawn and I didn't have this conversation sooner. I didn't realize the albatross our relationship had become to him."

"The what?"

"He was holding onto too much baggage from the past, that's all. He and I…we both could've been more mature about things. But I love you and Georgia and this little baby who seems determined to turn my insides into mush. You three are my world and I wouldn't trade you for anything."

"I think I can speak for Georgia and Bear when I say that we love you, too." Eric slung his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get out there before Topanga freaks out some more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Cory and Shawn discuss the future (and the past).


	5. Chapter 5

"Um, honey, are you even going to open any of your other presents," Cory questioned. "You've been staring at those shoes for about twenty minutes now. I mean, really, they are just shoes."

"Just shoes? No, no these are not just shoes. These are works of art. They should be in the Louvre." Topanga held up one of her heeled sandals- admiring the crystal covered scalloped cutouts. Angela had chosen the perfect pair to give her. "Shoes...so small, yet they provide so much happiness. I should've been in fashion instead of becoming a lawyer." She looked up when she heard her husband fail to hold in a laugh. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"No, really, what?"

"Well, I mean-and don't take this the wrong way because I think you're stunning and prettier than any model on a runway- but don't you think you missed the height requirement to be a model? By like...a lot? You'd have to create a second you and stand her on your shoulders to even come close."

"There are other ways to be involved with fashion besides modeling. Look at Angela."

"I certainly never saw it coming," she remarked. It was still unreal to her that after years spent traipsing the globe chasing stories- political unrest in the Middle East, environmental conservation and climate change, and the South American drug wars- that she wound up at Vogue trying to come up with a million and one ways to describe the little black dress. Granted, it wasn't all she did. She often crafted press releases and helped design ad campaigns, but she'd had to prove herself and work up to those. "I would've laughed years ago if you told me I'd end up at a fashion magazine." Every once in a while she missed the major stories and accolades. When she began writing professionally her goal was to win a Pulitzer by the time she turned thirty-five. She was well on her way to getting there before life happened and she returned home to take care of her ill father. She regretted nothing and would do it all again in a heartbeat, but everything else was put on hold. And in the midst of one of her darkest times, she and Eric crossed paths again and fell in love. Then they got married and had Georgia. Now her focus was on being home to eat dinner with her family and tuck her daughter into bed every night. Angela grew up without that and knew how much those moments mattered. Once they were gone you couldn't get them back. Her eye was still on a Pulitzer, but it would take her a little more time.

"You have a great job," Topanga gushed to her sister-in-law and best friend. "I'm always green with envy when you send me pictures of the freebies and swag bags you get."

"I could stop sending pictures."

"Don't you dare! Let me live vicariously through you."

"There are probably no height requirements for being a foot model. Just no cankles, or bunions, blisters, calluses..." Angela glared at Cory when he made a gagging sound. "Grow up."

"Sorry, between my wife wishing to give up her pursuit of upholding the law in the name of being a shoe model and the mention of bunions- my stomach got a little queasy. Feet are bad enough by themselves." He never even rubbed Topanga's feet when she had been pregnant. He felt bad and tried to get past it to provide comfort and soothe her aches and pains, but couldn't.

"Cory, please," she said, "like I ever could've been a foot model. I was cursed with the Lawrence family wide feet." She kicked off her shoes and extended her legs. "I mean, look at these things. If Barney Rubble ever needs a foot double, he knows where to find one."

"He's a cartoon, honey."

"Thank you so much for sharing that trait with me." Riley mimicked her mother and extended her own legs. "Do you know how many cute shoes I can never buy because they don't sell them in a wide width?"

"Tell me about it," Maya interjected. "It puts a serious crimp in my shoe choices, too. My feet aren't wide."

"Sorry, honey. Consider it a tradeoff for not inheriting your father's hair. Something had to give. Unfortunately it was your feet." She picked up her gifted heels again and smiled, admiring the way the crystals shimmered in the light. "These are just so pretty."

"So, Mrs. Matthews, if the house was on fire who gets saved: Riley and Auggie or the shoes?"

"Maya, please. Riley and Auggie can walk."

/

"Hippos!" Georgia jumped up and down in excitement as she unwrapped one of her presents. "Mama, daddy, I have hippo blankies for my bed!"

"Wow, super cool." Eric leaned closer to his mom. "Where did you find hippo bedding? We looked everywhere."

"Honey, never underestimate a grandma's power when it comes to making her grandchildren happy."

"I don't know what that means."

"You're not supposed to."

"It's not just blankies." Alan got down on the floor next to his granddaughter. He helped her pull away the remaining paper. "See, there are sheets, pillow cases, curtains for your windows, and a little skirt so no one can see under your bed."

"My bed doesn't want a skirt, nonno."

"You can hide the toys you don't want your baby sister to play with under the bed and behind the skirt." He smiled, watching as her three year old brain processed the information. "Cool, huh?"

"I hide baby Sister Bear under my bed."

"Georgia, you can't-"

Alan held up a hand, stopping Angela from continuing on. "I don't know if you want Sister Bear under your bed. If she cries at night it will wake you up. And what happens if she needs a diaper change when she's under there? Your whole room will stink."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Maybe I just put my toys under the bed."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Okay, I've got some more presents for Georgia," Josh said, dropping a few more wrapped packages at his niece's feet.

Eric and Angela eyed the ever growing pile of presents with apprehension. "How the hell are we supposed to get all this back home," he whispered. "The airport charges will put us in the poor house."

She thought about the small stack of gifts waiting to be opened at Mr. Feeny's house tomorrow morning and shook her head. "I knew there was a detail we forgot to cover. Do you think the other passengers would mind keeping a toy or two on their laps for the duration of the flight?"

"We can just ship them all to your house," Amy interjected. "You can use the money Josh didn't spend when we thought he shipped them."

"Thanks, mom."

"I do have one other suggestion that would save money."

"What's that?"

"Move closer to home."

He sighed. "Mom, we've had this discussion. Angela and I like where we are. We just bought our house. Our jobs are great and we've got Georgia on the list for an amazing preschool."

"But it's so far away."

"That part sucks but we visit a couple times a year and you visit us occasionally. And Skype! You see Georgia almost every night."

"It's not how I envisioned watching my granddaughter grow up."

"Mom-"

"I know, I know, I'm being ridiculous. The holidays do that to me. I just miss you, all of you."

"We miss you, too, but we've got a life. I thought that's what you wanted."

"It is, honey, it is. I guess I wasn't prepared for how difficult it would be, especially now that you're having another baby." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I think I'm realizing soon Joshua will be away at college and I won't have any more kids to fuss over."

"You know, moving works both ways. You and dad could always come closer to us."

"Oh, I don't know if dad and I are Milan type people."

"Speak for yourself," Alan remarked.

"We live in Novara, nonna." Georgia rattled off her address, never looking up from the present she was currently unwrapping with her grandpa.

Eric smiled. He and Angela had been working with her to learn her phone number and her address. While they deferred to Milan because it was the closest big city and people knew where it was, she was always quick to correct them. "You could be a Novara type person."

"We'll see. Dad and I have ruled nothing out as retirement gets closer."

"Hey, I'm not old and retired yet."

"Of course not, Alan, so when the next issue of AARP comes in the mail for you I'll just pitch it into the trash."

"Don't even think about it. They have great tips on getting discounts."

/

/

Shawn exhaled, watching as his breath mingled with the smoke in the cold December air. This had been one of the longest nights of his life and, ironically, the best Christmas he's had in years. How twisted was that? It was nice to be around a family again...his family...even if some of the players didn't have the roles he expected years ago. He knew he had to let go of how he thought things were supposed to be and embrace how they were in reality, but it wasn't going to be easy. Truth be told, he wasn't sure he could ever fully accept it. Acceptance would mean realizing the life and future he let slip through his fingers was lost to him. Angela would forever be the ultimate what if? He had to plot a new course and that scared the hell out of him.

"Oh, come on," Cory admonished as he climbed onto the fire escape and sat beside his best friend. He didn't realize Shawn had disappeared until a few minutes ago and for a moment was afraid he'd slipped out without saying good-bye. It wouldn't have been the first time. "You said you quit."

"I'm quitting. It's a process."

"It's a process you started when Topanga was pregnant with Riley. How long does it take?"

"I just spent the evening in the same room as the only woman I've ever loved- and she's pregnant, her husband who also used to be a pretty good friend of mine, and their daughter who insists on calling me Uncle Shawn. And I can't even get mad at the last part because the kid is so damn cute and too young to know better."

"Okay," he relented, "I suppose I can excuse the one. They're just regular cigarettes, right? Not the funny ones?"

He rolled his eyes, but was otherwise unfazed. "Do you really think I'd bring pot into your home with kids here? Not to mention I'm pretty sure your parents would have my ass in a sling and yell at me until my ears fell off." Though he'd escaped his teenage years without experimenting with anything beyond alcohol, shortly after they were on their own and in New York he started smoking. He found it was an easy way to calm his nerves. Maybe it wasn't good for him, but Shawn Hunter was never one to do what was good for him.

"You've at least quit the pot, right?"

"I've cut back a lot. But hey, it's legal in some places now. Get with the times."

"Shawn-"

"I didn't come for a lecture." He put the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe and set it on the windowsill. He'd never hear the end of it from Cory if he littered, too.

"I'm just glad you're here at all. I hate to admit it, but I was afraid you were going to blow us off again."

"To be honest if I knew ahead of time that Angela and Eric were going to be here I probably would've. It's hard enough being here without them adding to it."

"It's hard being around me? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well...yeah."

"Why? I'm the same guy I've always been. I'm your best friend."

"You are my best friend, Cor, but you are so not the same guy- not even a little."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Things changed the day Riley was born. They probably should've changed the day you married Topanga, or the day we left Philly, but we were stubborn and resisted as hard as we could. We couldn't deny what a baby would mean. Even we couldn't fight that change. I didn't know how to be the cool uncle and, frankly, I didn't want to be."

"Nothing had to change. We're still the exact same people that-"

"You've got a family, Cory! You and Topanga have built a nice nest for you and your little baby birds."

"Yeah, well, maybe if you would've stuck around you would've noticed the guest quarters we had for Uncle Shawn," he grumbled. "You left the day I became a father. You deserted me on one of the biggest days of my life...for the second time."

"Second? What was the first?"

"You bailed on being my best man on my wedding day." It was rare that Cory gave into these feelings of abandonment regarding Shawn, but he was making it sound like he was forced to leave. That couldn't be further from the truth. "You ran out on me."

"I know."

"Why? Why would you turn your back on me when I needed you, even if I just needed you to be there and be happy? I was there every time you needed someone."

"There was no room for me anymore."

"I would've made room."

"For what? So you could keep babying me like I was one of your kids?"

"You definitely act like a mopey, whining teenager most of the time!" He shoved his hands into his pockets, wishing he'd thought to bring his coat or sweater out here. "I want my best friend back."

"I'm here now."

"You mean you're here _for now_."

Shawn sighed. "What do you want from me, Cory?"

"You could stop staring at my family like we're some exhibit at the zoo."

"Well, you know the numbers on nauseating happy families are dwindling. You Matthews' are damned near a relic- not just you and Topanga- the whole lot of you. I swear it's disgusting. Tell me at least Morgan is miserable." Cory raised his eyebrows. "You know what I mean."

"She seems happy in California and with her career. Training service animals is a noble profession. The other details I don't know about because she almost never calls me and visits even less."

"Can't fault someone for living their life, can you?"

"You blamed me for living mine. You blamed me so much you left."

"It hurt too much to see what I was never going to have."

"You do have it. You're a part of my family, Shawnie. You always have been."

"I mean a family of my own. That…that ship has sailed."

"Come on. You're thirty-five, not dead. It can still happen."

He shook his head. "If I couldn't make it work with Angela, what are the odds it will work with someone else?"

"I could help you and find someone to fix you up with."

"I don't think-"

"Maya's mom is single."

"The same mom Maya said she had no clue where she was or what she was doing tonight and who is fine with her kid spending Christmas with another family? What, are you setting me up with Virna?"

Cory snapped his fingers. "That's who Katy reminds me of. I knew the flakiness and flighty behavior reminded me of someone."

"And you want to set me up with someone who reminds you of Virna? Seriously?"

"Okay, bad idea, but I'm sure there's someone I know who-"

"Cor, no, I mean, I appreciate it, but no. If by some slim chance it happens, it's got to be my choice."

"I just want you to find some happiness and have a life."

"I left the city thirteen years ago. I have had a life since then. I'm not saying it's a great life, but it's my life."

"Has it really been thirteen years," Cory asked quietly. "It feels like three weeks."

"Nope, thirteen years."

"Do you think you'll ever move back?"

"I don't know. I kind of like where I am now. It's quiet."

"Topanga's right, though. It's a cabin in the middle of the woods. You _are_ a reclusive hermit."

"I work and travel a lot. When I'm home…yeah, I want to be left the hell alone."

"That's not really conducive to finding a lady and getting a family. Families are a lot of things, and you know I love mine, but I don't even remember what quiet is like."

"Then I'm my own worst enemy. It's not like we haven't always known that."

"Damn it, Shawn, would you just-" Cory stopped talking when he saw a familiar shadow climbing down from the floor above them and land on the adjacent fire escape, coming closer. "Farkle, what do you think you're doing?"

The boy froze. He didn't realize Mr. Matthews was sitting out here. "I…uhh…I was coming to wish Riley and Maya a Merry Christmas."

"We have a front door, you know?" He glanced at Shawn and found him staring at Farkle, mouth agape. "You okay, buddy?"

"Maybe I was smoking those funny cigarettes after all." He leaned forward and poked a finger into the boy's forehead. "Minkus," he asked in disbelief.

"Yes?"

"Cory, what the hell is going on here?"

"This is Farkle Minkus."

"Even Minkus reproduced," he muttered, shaking his head. "Hey, kid, were you cloned?"

"Huh?"

"Did you grow in a lab? Are you a test tube baby? Have you ever actually seen your birth certificate?"

Cory patted his friend's shoulder. "Now, now, let's not frighten the child. Farkle, go home."

"Right. I need to ask my father to see my birth certificate anyway. Goodnight."

Shawn watched the kid scurry back to wherever- or whatever- he came from. "Even Minkus," he repeated in awe.

"You'll never guess who his mother is."

"Who?"

"Jennifer Bassett."

A chill went up his spine at the mention of that name. She had been such a cruel girlfriend; hot and rich, but cruel. He simply couldn't imagine someone as kind as Stuart Minkus with someone like Jennifer Bassett. "How the hell did that happen?"

"I have no idea."

"Wow, I guess if even Minkus can find someone and reproduce -even if it was with the devil- there might be hope for me yet."

"That's the spirit!"

"Chill, Cor. Don't hire a band and book a hall just yet." He opened and closed his hands, trying to bring some blood back to his fingers. "Can we go back inside now?"

"Just a second."

"What?"

"I just…are we okay?"

"We're as okay as we've ever been."

"That's a lie. Topanga's right, you know? You can't come back here unless you really mean it when you say you won't ignore Riley and act like she put an end to our friendship. I hate to admit it, but I've been putting your feelings ahead of my daughter's all her life. It's got to where she dreaded when she heard you're coming to whatever gathering we were having." He'd been thinking a lot during dinner, his wife's words weighing heavy on his mind. He thought back to how Riley acted earlier tonight, how she's acted for the past few years whenever a Shawn visit was on the horizon. "It didn't seem like she was able to enjoy her birthday party a few weeks ago until you called and said you couldn't make it. After that she was like a completely different kid."

"I didn't mean for that to happen."

"I know and I love you, buddy, but it has to be different. It just has to be. I can't keep putting you ahead of Riley."

"I never asked you to do that."

"And I didn't mean to do it, but it happened and it has to stop. I'll still see you away from the house, but it would just be you and me. No Topanga and no kids."

"Like I said earlier, I'm going to try."

"You have to do better than that."

"I don't know if I can right now. Just give me some time."

"You've had thirteen years."

"Can't you give me another thirteen?"

"Shawn…"

"I already said I'm going to try. I can't do any better than that right now."

Cory nodded. He hated that they even had to have this conversation, but he only had himself to blame. He was the one who let it go on for so long and was willfully blind to his daughter's feelings. "I will work on accepting that."

"Okay."

"Okay." He was about to crawl back inside when Shawn spoke again.

"There's something else we should probably do."

"What's that?"

"We should forgive Angela and your brother." It was never said out loud, but he knew Cory had been holding a grudge against Eric since he got together with Angela. While Shawn appreciated the loyalty, that was something that had to change as well.

"You sure?"

"They've been married for six years, have a three year old, and another kid on the way. I think it's time to at least try."

"He stole your happily ever after."

He wanted to laugh at Cory's choice of words. After his conversation with Angela it was rather ironic. "I think I screwed that up enough when I gave Angela the ultimatum."

"But-"

"I'm not saying _I'm_ going to be successful, but this is another thing that needs to be tried. Plus he's your brother." He could see Cory was still hesitant. "Look, I'm trying for Riley's sake. Maybe you can try to forgive Eric for Georgia's."

"You just had to bring the kid into it, didn't you?"

"I guess I'm finally realizing it's not about me anymore."

/

"Oh, there you guys are," Topanga said when she saw Cory and Shawn come back into the room. "You're just in time."

"In time for what?"

"Georgia is handing out the presents she made for everyone."

"She made presents?"

"Made presents...colored pictures...the point is to be nice and grateful." She'd gotten her warning out just in time. No sooner did the words leave her did her niece come running over. "I tracked them down for you, munchkin."

"Zio Shawn, I made you a picture!"

He was acutely aware that every eye in the apartment was on him, awaiting his reaction. He put what he hoped passed for an enthusiastic look on his face and held out his hands, accepting the sheet of neon pink construction paper. Boy, was it pink. The paper was covered in brightly colored squiggly lines and scribbles that almost looked like real shapes. It was the curly tail on one of the circles that clued him into what it was supposed to be. "Is this a pig?" She even included a hat and scarf in his favorite color, green. 

"It's your pig! Your Little Zio Cory pig."

Shawn's smile was small, but genuine. He couldn't help it. The kid was too damn cute. "Thank you. It's the nicest picture of a pig anyone has ever given me"

"Maya helped me draw the circles good."

"Yeah," the teen spoke up from across the room, "if I knew it was for you I probably wouldn't have helped."

"Maya," Topanga admonished, "what did we talk about this evening?"

Her eyes fell to her lap under the mom glare. "I mean you're welcome."

"Are you gonna put it on your refridge-mater," Georgia asked, oblivious to the drama.

"Sure."

"Gee, Georgia, I guess you forgot all about Zio Cory, huh," he asked, doing his best to sound sad.

"No silly, I make you a picture, too." She held up the blue construction paper. "You play baseball. Daddy said you like it."

"I do like baseball. Thank you. It's very pretty."

"And I gave you a Band-Aid for the ouchie on your butt."

He frowned, confused as he studied the drawing. She made him look like he was wearing a diaper. "I don't have an ouchie."

She nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh. Daddy say you always a big pain in the butt."

The entire room was choking on muffled laughter, including Shawn and Topanga, who was turning red and was practically doubled over. Cory also suspected the table was the only thing keeping his friend upright.

"You no like my picture," Georgia asked, a pout forming on her lips.

"Oh, no, munchkin, it's a beautiful picture. I love it."

"You put it on your refridge-mater?"

"Are you kidding," he began, removing the picture from her hands. "This is going right on the top where everyone can see it." He glared at Eric across the room. "Especially daddy."

Eric took a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain his composure. "Sorry, Cor, who knew she was listening when I talked about you and your big pain in the butt."

Alan smacked his eldest on the shoulder. "Yeah, it sucks when they listen to everything you say and can rat you out, huh?"

"Uncle Cory?"

"Yes, Georgia?"

"Why do you have the ouchie on your butt?"

He picked her up in his arms and gave her a Christmas cookie, knowing full well Eric and Angela had said no more cookies for her. "You see, Georgia, it happened a very long time ago when I shared a room with your daddy…"


	6. Chapter 6

"How many times do I have to apologize? I'm sorry Georgia overheard me calling you a pain in the butt."

"But you're not sorry for calling me a pain in the butt to begin with," Cory challenged his big brother.

"Well, you haven't been the easiest person to be around for the past, oh, I don't know…how long have I been with Angela?"

"Isn't that sweet," Angela gushed in a joking manner as she approached them, "over seven years together, married for six, and you're already blanking on dates?" She wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her head against his chest. It was only a little after nine, but she was fighting to keep her eyes open. Angela was unsure if it was pregnancy tiredness or if she was still trying to adapt to the time zone change. It was three in the morning back home after all. "Who says romance is dead?"

"I was speaking in general terms. But way to kill the point I'm making, thanks, babe."

"What point are you trying to make?"

"That Cory can be a gigantic pain in the butt."

She stared at her brother-in-law for a moment. "Oh…okay."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm just calling it like I see it. You've been an insufferable pain in my butt for years."

He threw up his hands, not quite sure what to say to either one of them. Shawn wanted him to forgive, but that wasn't looking likely at the moment. "Thanks. I can feel the love."

"Relax, lucky for you I've reached that mostly happy part of pregnancy and, combined with Christmas, am in a very forgiving mood. We'll be around for a few weeks. That's more than enough time for you to work your way back up to minor annoyance," she responded with a smile.

"A few weeks, really?"

"Well, Georgia's finally at an age where she's going to start remembering some of these trips. There are places to visit and people to see."

"I suppose it makes sense to take advantage of it while you can. You won't get to travel much once Georgia starts school and number two comes along," he said, gesturing to her growing belly.

"Why would that stop us?"

"Having two kids is hard. Topanga and I are lucky to schedule a week or two a year for a vacation, even then we only ever make it to Coney Island or back to Philadelphia."

"That's a shame. It's a big world out there. You're limiting yourself and the kids to such narrow experiences."

"Between jobs and their activities and school stuff…" He trailed off. Clearly they would have to learn the hard way. "You'll find out. Going from one kid to two was more complicated than going from zero to one."

"We'll make it work," Eric said. "We've done pretty well so far. You should see Georgia's passport. She's been to places I still can't locate on a map."

"I grew up practically a nomad," Angela continued the thread of conversation. "Traveling is in my blood." True, she was no longer jetting off from one location to the next for work, but she and Eric took advantage of every opportunity they could to travel for pleasure. It helped fulfill any wanderlust that lingered from no longer chasing assignments. His job at an airport definitely helped curb expenses. She credited Georgia's ability to adapt to new surroundings with their frequent trips. They spent plenty of time at home, but travel was something they were both passionate about. And it was amazing to see the world through their daughter's eyes. "I love it and want my girls to as well. If anything, they provide more incentive for us to get out there and see as much as possible."

"Kids need stability and a predictable-"

"Cor, _we're_ the stability."

"Exactly. When I was a kid, no matter how many times I had to move, so long as my dad was there I knew it was going to be okay. He was my anchor."

"But-"

"Tell you what, you screw up your kids your way and let us screw up ours' our way." Eric tried not to get too annoyed. Though it was coming out in a judgmental manner, his brother had good intentions. "And in twenty or so years we can meet up and whoever caused the least amount of damage buys lunch."

He frowned. "Shouldn't the ones who screw up the most buy lunch?"

"No, they'll be the ones footing therapy bills and will need the free meal."

Cory wasn't quite sure where to take the conversation from here. Clearly they were at an impasse. They had different lifestyles and philosophies on how to raise their children. That wasn't likely to change. "If you're not planning on staying here and in Philly the entire time, where else are you going?"

"We're flying out to California to see Morgan for a few days. She promised Georgia she'd take her to Disneyland. Then we're off to visit my aunt and a couple cousins who are out that way and then-"

"Isn't that a lot of traveling in your condition?"

Angela suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and reminded herself that Cory meant well. He always meant well. "And we're going to try and visit Rachel for a day or two on our way back to Philadelphia, but that's not for sure yet. She's in Texas visiting her parents for the holidays. It's been forever since we've seen her. We haven't even met her youngest kid. He's adorable in the pictures and videos."

"Rachel had a baby," Topanga called out from across the room. She had been engaged in conversation with her in-laws, Josh, and Shawn, but could hear bits of the other discussion in the room.

"Her youngest turns two the first week of January. He was her surprise baby."

"She has more than one kid? Where on earth have I been? Wait…when did she get married?"

"I don't know- ten, eleven years ago maybe," Eric answered, getting a nod of confirmation from his wife. "They met when she was still working with The Peace Corps. Rachel cracked a tooth and was in a lot of pain. Finlay was the only dentist around for miles. He was visiting with another organization and helping out. He's originally from Ireland."

"Scotland," Angela corrected. "They have three kids." She took out her phone and scrolled through until she found the latest picture from her friend. "Here we go: Stella is nine, Dexter is eight, and Henry is almost two. I swear you've never seen so much red hair in one family."

"She's in Seattle now and heads up fundraising and PR for a non-profit group that helps the homeless."

Topanga stared at the picture of Rachel's kids, bewildered. "How did I not know any of this?"

"When is the last time you talked to her?"

"I saw her at your wedding. I got to talk to her for a minute, but it was more, 'hi and bye.' I thought she said something about a boyfriend or husband, but she was in a rush. It was a blur."

"She flew in for the ceremony but left immediately after. Her older two were still so little and it was so close to Christmas. She didn't want to be away from them for long. We didn't give people a lot of notice." Though she chose to focus on the happy moments, her wedding day would always be bittersweet for Angela. She and Eric abandoned their plans when it became apparent her dad may not live long enough to see their original May wedding date. They scrapped everything and put together a small affair in three weeks' time. While she would do it again in a heartbeat- she couldn't fathom not having her dad walk her down the aisle- the rush meant a lot of people were unable to attend. "I'm just glad she was there at all." She leaned into Eric when she felt his arm tighten around her. He understood her conflicting emotions regarding their wedding.

"Still, Cory," she kept on, "we've talked to Rachel at some point in the past seven years, right?"

He shrugged. "Her number's not in my phone."

"What about in the years after leaving Philadelphia, but before Angela and Eric's wedding…we spoke to her? Kept in touch? I mean we had to. She was a good friend."

"I don't know, Topanga. We've been kind of busy: kids, jobs, life. It sounds like Rachel's been just as active."

She frowned. Is it possible she had only talked to Rachel once in the past fifteen years? That didn't seem right. Not that they were ever super close, but she was a bridesmaid when she and Cory got married, after all. "Every once in a while she'll pop into my head and I mean to look her up and see how she is, but then I get busy and forget again." She sighed. "Wow, I can't believe it's been so long."

"It's okay, honey," Amy reassured. "It doesn't diminish the period where you were all in college and together all the time. It just means the person you are now isn't the person you were then. You all outgrew the intensity of those friendships. That's not a bad thing. You had to do it. When you're that age your life revolves around school, parties, and friends. But you're older now. You have a family and a career. Priorities change. It happens to everybody."

"But I'd like to think I keep up with the people who matter to me."

Angela wanted to point out that she and Topanga lost touch- aside from the occasional email- during the years between her breakup with Shawn and getting together with Eric, but knew it wouldn't help. It was during those years, ironically, that her friendship with Rachel blossomed. They found a common bond in being away from everyone else on the other side of the world and called and emailed regularly. "Trust me, there are no hard feelings. Rachel's happy and she always talks about the college years with a smile."

Shawn ducked into the kitchen to get a soda. He was itching to sneak out for another cigarette, but there was no easy escape route at the moment. It wasn't lost on him that the only members of their little group that weren't happily hitched with children were him and Jack. He used to joke about it, but maybe there was something to the Hunter curse after all. Sure, Jack was engaged now, but he'd been engaged once before. Shawn can't exactly remember why it ended. Hell, he still wasn't sure why things didn't work with Rachel. He didn't talk to his brother a lot. After Cory and Topanga had Riley and he and Angela broke up, he drifted away from people, his own family included. It was easier to be on his own. He had his job. It kept him busy enough to distract him from what was missing in his life…most of the time anyway. His head snapped up when he heard Jack's name brought up in conversation, as if people could read his mind.

"…but I'm sure Jack would love it if you came to dinner with us next week. His fiancée's very nice. She's not boring like you'd think a scientist would be."

Angela laughed and hit his arm. "Eric!"

"What? I'm giving her a compliment."

"Ignore him. Tabitha's great."

"That's what I just said."

"What do you think, Cory?" Topanga looked expectantly at her husband. "It would be fun to catch up with Jack. We haven't seen him in years either and we live in the same city."

"It's a city with over 8.5 million people, honey," he pointed out. "And that's not counting the tourists. It's natural to lose track in all the insanity."

"I know, but it's starting to hit me that the only person we didn't lose track of was Shawn. That's pathetic."

"That's not true. Eric and Angela are here."

"Oh, they're family. They don't count."

"Thanks, a lot, Topanga."

"I guess if we don't count you won't mind if I take those shoes back."

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just feeling like a bad friend."

"So you've decided to top off the night by pissing off your family, too?"

"Please don't take my shoes." Before Topanga could formulate a further response, shouting was heard coming from the down the hall. It sounded like Auggie, but she couldn't be sure. It was followed by a loud crash, more yelling, and an ear-piercing scream. "What on earth-"

Seconds later, Georgia came running into the room in tears. "Mama, daddy!" She zigzagged around the other adults and wrapped herself around her mother's legs. Angela tried to get down to her level, but the combination of her pregnant belly and her daughter's arms locked around her knees made that nearly impossible. She spoke again, but it was jumbled with her sobs.

"What did she say? That doesn't even sound like words."

"It's Italian," Angela quickly explained. "She's tired."

"She speaks Italian when she's tired?"

"Shut up, Cory."

Eric crouched down and picked her up. She was borderline hysterical at this point and he knew the crowd wasn't helping. Unfortunately, being his daughter, she was prone to being dramatic. An audience made it ten times worse. So they moved to the opposite side of the living room and sat down. Step one was getting her calm. Georgia resisted at first, trying multiple times to hit him and shove him away. He told her no and held her hands at her sides, speaking softly and helped her take deep breaths. Eventually she was able to start explaining whatever it was that had her so upset.

Cory watched in awe as his big brother handled the tantrum. Granted, he'd always been good with kids, but he attributed that to Eric's often childlike demeanor. Who couldn't relate to a kid when you acted like a ten year old yourself? Still, stupid as it was, what threw him off the most was the way he slipped into another language without missing a beat. Cory knew his brother lived in a foreign country, but he never thought about him really living there and immersing himself in the culture. Suddenly, Eric felt very far away and it was clear they were living different lives. He glanced at his parents and could tell they were having similar thoughts. It was hard to believe this was a guy who barely passed his English classes in high school. Before he could comment, however, there was more noise from the hallway and Riley and Maya appeared. And they were dragging a very reluctant Auggie with them.

The lawyer in her came out and Topanga pounced the second she saw the kids. "What happened? I want the facts."

"Georgia started it!"

Maya winced. "Bad move, Auggie. No one ever buys that. Trust me, I've tried."

Just seeing her cousin seemed to set Georgia off again. "Auggie mi ha colpito in primo luogo!"

"Huh?"

"Can we get the kid subtitles?"

"She said Auggie hit her first," Angela snapped. She wasn't upset the kids had a squabble. They were kids. It happens. But if they didn't get to the root of the issue soon Georgia would never calm down. "Auggie, what happened? I'm not mad and I'm not trying to get you into trouble with your parents. I just want to know why Georgia is so upset."

"She wasn't playing with the blocks the right way. I was trying to show her how to build a house, but she was doing it wrong and kept knocking it down. I had to start over seventy-five times."

"Something tells me that's an exaggeration," Cory challenged. Auggie could be like him that way.

"It was still a lot. And then she stole the blocks I was using."

Topanga nodded. Her son tended to be a carefree, live and let live kid, but he was particular about his blocks and Legos. He liked them to be played with- and stored- a certain way. "Then you hit her?"

He stared at his shoes. "Not very hard."

"Auggie-"

"She hit me back!"

"You're older. You know better."

He shook his head. "Nu-uh! You tell that to Riley, not me. She's older."

"Yes, but you are older than Georgia. She's only three. That means you should understand better how to behave and to get an adult if there is a problem."

"Where's her doll," Eric asked over his daughter's cries. "She says you took it."

"Because she knocked down my block house!" Auggie wilted when he saw the looks on his parents' faces. It was rare that they got mad at him or Riley for anything. "It's under my bed."

"Go get it."

"But, dad-"

"Just do it, please. No arguing."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "But she still started it."

"Kids, huh," Maya commented in a sarcastic tone, "born troublemakers."

"Maya, not now."

"What? I'm just enjoying not being the one getting yelled at for once."

Topanga rubbed her temples. The past few days' worth of cooking and cleaning and holiday stresses seemed to be catching up with her. "One more smart remark and that feeling will be fleeting."

"Right."

A few minutes later the doll was returned, apologies were dragged out of the kids, and everyone agreed it was time for the evening to come to a close.

"Okay, I need keys to the van to get our bag."

Amy dug the keys out of her purse and handed them over to her eldest. "I thought you were going back to Mr. Feeny's tonight."

"We are, but figured it made sense to get Georgia changed and go through bedtime routines here before we get in the car."

"Smart. You know you can come back to the house and sleep over tonight, don't you?"

"We can't nonna," Georgia said, running over. "We hafta sleep at Mr. Feeny house 'cause that is where we told Babba Natale to put my presents."

"That's right, nonna," Eric said with a grin. "We can't confuse Babba Natale, can we?"

"I suppose not. And you are not allowed to call me grandma or nonna, especially in that tone."

"Only me?"

"Well, you call me nonna and Riley, and Auggie call me grandma."

"Okay, you hang out with nonna for a few minutes. I'll be right back with your pajamas."

"And Baby Erica's, too?"

If someone had told Eric years ago that he would one day buy special outfits for his daughter's doll he would've slapped them silly. Now, well, he thought it was crazy, but it made Georgia so happy. "Yes, you helped mama pack her Christmas pjs, too, remember?"

She jumped up and tried to hold onto his sweater. "I wanna go with you, daddy."

"No, it's too cold. I'll only be gone for a minute. Stay with nonna."

"Yeah, stay with me." She picked up her granddaughter and moved her away from the door so Eric could make his exit. "You can help me wake up nonno. He fell asleep on the couch again."

"Why? Did he forget his nap?"

"No, he's just a sleepy old man."

"I heard that," Alan mumbled, his eyes still closed. "I'm not sleeping. I'm resting my eyes. It's a long drive home."

"Sure, honey, whatever you say."

/

"Mom, dad, tell Maya she can spend the night over here," Riley said, practically dragging her best friend into the kitchen where they were conversing with Shawn.

"Please, you never know, maybe Santa didn't forget where I live this year and there will be a few presents under our Charlie Brown tree."

Most people may have missed it, but under Maya's bluster and bravado he could hear the bitterness and pain that came with a lifetime of dealing with parental disappointments. No presents Christmas morning? Been there. And then there was the awkward embarrassment when presents magically appeared later on. Chet was always too eager to claim credit, but the gift tags were always written in Mrs. Matthews' elegant scroll. And that was in addition to the presents under the Matthews' tree for him. Judging by what he's heard, he was sure Cory and Topanga did the same thing for Maya. "From what I hear Santa probably thinks you live here."

Maya blinked at him, surprised he was talking to her directly. "Yeah, right."

"Okay, that's just what would happen to me every year when I would wake up with no presents under my…well, it was a wreath made from beer bottle caps my dad stole from a bar. We couldn't afford a tree in the trailer most years."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"That's…that's making my Charlie Brown tree sound pretty good about now."

"It had a certain charm."

"So does my tree. I think I'll head home before it misses me."

"I'm on my way out, too."

"Good for you."

"Wait a few minutes. I'm sending you home with food," Topanga said in a way that left no room for argument.

"Which one of us are you talking to?"

"Both of you." She busied herself preparing Tupperware containers.

"See, isn't this great," Cory began, attempting to fill the silence. "Me and my best friend and my daughter and her best friend- tell me what's more perfect than this?"

"No need to wonder who got into the spiked eggnog tonight."

"Maya!"

"Lighten up," Riley said, "it was just a joke." Her mother seemed especially uptight tonight and jumped on Maya for the slightest thing. She didn't get it.

"Yeah, Topanga, she's just goofing around."

She stared directly at the young blonde. "Jokes are supposed to be funny and not at the expense of others, especially when that person bends over backwards to help you."

"Sorry," Maya mumbled.

Shawn gave Topanga a look, not sure where this was coming from. "Look, if you want…I can give you a ride home."

"Are you serious?"

"Why not?"

"You really expect me to accept a ride home from someone who's virtually a stranger? What am I, a moron in a really bad horror movie? You live in a cabin in the woods. No one would hear me scream."

"Huh?"

"Maya, Shawn's a good guy. I've known him my whole life. He's my best friend."

"To me he's still the guy who hurt my best friend. Do that again and you'll have to answer to me, by the way."

"And if you speak to another adult in my home like that again-"

Maya held up her hands. She'd been lectured by Riley's mom enough for one night. She was unrelenting. "All right, I got it. Can I go now?"

She slid the Tupperware across the counter. "See you at breakfast?"

"Better make it brunch. I need my beauty sleep."

"I'll take you home, Maya," Josh said, entering the kitchen.

"You will?"

"Sure, my mom asked me to gas up the van." He wasn't stupid. He knew Maya had a crush on him. He'd have to be blind to miss it. But she was a kid. Still, he remembered how it felt to be thirteen and around your crush. "Your building is near the gas station with the best price."

Okay, so it wasn't a date, but it was something. "That would be great." She'd get to be alone with him for a few minutes.

"You want to come, Riley," the young uncle asked.

"Sure. I need to get out of here for a little while."

Maya thanked her lucky stars it was Christmas. That was the only thing stopping her from killing her best friend. "Fine, but I call shotgun."

/

"But do you have to go so soon, Shawnie? It feels like you just got here."

"This is the third time we're having this conversation. And believe it or not, I do have to work tomorrow."

"On Christmas? Doing what?"

"I'm capturing Christmas morning on the streets of New York City. Trust me, it has a very different vibe."

"And you're going to call and email more, right," Cory prodded. "And come around for a visit more often than we see a leap year on the calendar?"

"I already said I'm going to try. What else do you want?"

"I want you to do better than that."

"I'll try. That's about all I can say right now."

"Will you at least come to dinner with us next week when we meet Jack's fiancée? You said you haven't met her yet."

"Let's see….three happy couples and me? Why would I refuse," he replied in a sardonic tone.

"But-"

"Look, I'm supposed to go to dinner with Jack and meet this Tabitha person the day after tomorrow. If it all doesn't go to hell maybe I'll show up at dinner, okay?"

"Why would it go to hell?"

"Because me and Jack…we just…you know. Life. He's over here and I'm way the hell over there." Shawn stretched his arms far apart. "We're different."

"You were different when you guys started living together and look how great that turned out."

"Yeah, so great we hardly ever speak anymore." He ran his hands through his hair. "One big happy, Hunter family- that's us."

"You're only as miserable as you allow yourself to be."

Shawn turned around and found Topanga standing directly behind him. He thought she was still putting Auggie to bed. "Please, I'm too tired for any more lectures, especially from the wife."

"I'm not going to lecture you. But I want you to know I meant what I said earlier. I love you. I'm always going to love you. You're one of my dearest friends and I would never interfere with your friendship with Cory."

"I'm sensing a big but in here."

"If Cory wants to continue to treat you as a child and coddle you based on the past, fine. That's no longer my battle. But don't expect any more of it from me. I have actual children to support and take care of. I refuse to let them be hurt, even by you."

"It was never my intention to hurt Riley."

"It wasn't mine either, but still happened. Never again, okay?"

He nodded after a few beats of silence. "I got it."

Topanga smiled and wrapped her arms around him for a tight hug. "In that case you do what Cory says: call, email, visit. At least send a carrier pigeon every so often so we know you're alive."

"You got it."

"Oh, good, Shawn, you're still here," Angela said, coming into the kitchen. "There's something I need to talk to you guys about."

"Sure, what-" Cory stopped talking when he caught sight of what she was wearing. "I thought Georgia was the only one getting ready for bed."

"I'm pregnant. I get tired. It's a long drive. And the first person to laugh at me will suffer."

"Whatever you say, Mama Bear," he joked, referring to the title proudly proclaimed on her Christmas themed pajama top.

"Georgia wanted us to match and she's obsessed with those bears in the books."

"What did you want to talk to us about," Topanga asked.

"You guys remember the time capsule we buried in Mr. Feeny's backyard?"

"Of course. We're not supposed to open it for another-"

"I want to dig it up now…or, at least before I go back home."

"Why?"

"I want my book of sonnets."

"But we agreed," Cory challenged, "we would open it when-"

"That book was a gift from my father. When he gave it to me for my twelfth birthday…" She chuckled. "…I swear you've never seen a kid so happy to get a book he hyped it up that much.

"My dad shared his love of Shakespeare with me and now I want to share it with Georgia. She's starting to ask a lot of questions about him. I'd like to have something tangible to show her, something besides photos or his military uniform and accolades, something that gives insight to who he was as a person." Angela picked at the leftover desserts on the counter. She wasn't even hungry. The food was a distraction. "I'm going to take her to his grave while we're here. She hasn't been since she was a baby."

His kids were blessed to have all four of their grandparents alive and kicking. And they were all relatively young, too. Heck, counting the step-grandparents from Topanga's parents' second marriages- and her dad's second divorce- Riley and Auggie technically had six grandparents who loved and spoiled them. Georgia only had her paternal grandparents. Cory knew his mom and dad had enough love for infinite numbers of grandparents, but it wasn't the same thing. He never knew much about Angela's mother, but her dad had been a good man- an intimidating man, but a good one. He had no doubts that Sgt. Moore would've been an excellent grandfather to Georgia and her soon-to-be little sister. But all the pictures and stories in the world couldn't replace him in their lives. They would forever be missing something and that made Cory sad to think about. "Sorry. Sometimes, I forget he's...that he-"

"It's okay. I wish I could forget sometimes, too. If only forgetting they're gone could bring them back and…"

"We'll dig up the capsule," Shawn spoke up. He could tell Angela was moments away from crying. "Just let me know when."

She flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Of course we'll get you your book," Topanga said, wrapping an arm around Angela's shoulders. "But will we even be able to dig anything up this time of year? Isn't the ground frozen?"

"I already asked Mr. Feeny. He said there hasn't been a prolonged hard freeze yet so there's still time."

"In that case we'll do it in a couple days. It'll be fun. Right, Cory?"

Cory couldn't help but notice that for all of his ducking and near refusal to commit to any future visits or dinners Shawn sure was quick to agree with whatever Angela wanted. He was too tired to think about what that meant for his friend's current state of mind. "Absolutely."

"Thanks, guys."

_"Mama, my blankie is gone!"_

Angela chuckled. "Duty calls."


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Alan saw when his eyes were pried open was his three and a half year old granddaughter just inches away…if that far. "Well, you're a weird alarm clock."

"Nonno, I no clock. You sleeping again. I get you awake."

"That's what you're doing, huh?" He squinted and removed her hands from his face. He'd worry about why they were sticky later.

"Georgia," Eric called from across the room, "what did me and mama tell you about waking people up?"

"Don't yell," she guessed. Mama and daddy told her not to do a lot of things. It was hard to remember them all.

"What else?"

"No jump because it's ouchie and makes you yell and say naughty words. But daddy, I just sitting on nonno. I no jump."

He winced at the memory of a morning not too long ago. That had been a rude awakening. Once he was capable of coherent thought he and Angela had a talk with Georgia about not jumping on daddy to wake him. Angela joked that it was their girl's attempt to remain an only child. "What was the other thing?"

She made a face. There were so many no's to remember. "No sticking my fingers in the eyes to open them."

Alan was almost impressed by her eye roll and sigh skills. It reminded him of Morgan as a child. She was another early master of the sigh and eye roll. "And which one did you do to me?"

"The eye one. But mama and daddy got really mad when I was poking both noses that time."

"Well, yes, we don't stick our fingers in noses to wake people either. It's mean and gross." Of all the bizarre things Eric's had to say since becoming a father, reminding his daughter that her fingers don't go in noses-including, _especially_ , those belonging to other people- ranked up there. She needed regular reminders, too, which baffled him. Who knew noses were so fascinating? "Get off of nonno's chest and let him sit up."

"Okay. Nonno, you need help?"

He let her pull on his hands to help him sit up. "Why are your hands sticky?"

"I washed 'em," she answered immediately.

That was suspicious. "What did you do?"

"I go to the potty all by myself," she stated proudly. "And I 'member to use the flusher. Then I put soap on my hands and I come get you awake for nonna."

There was one important detail missing from her story. "Did you wash the soap off of your hands with water?" He watched as Georgia brought her hands to her face before she looked back at him, guilty.

"I mess up." She hated making mistakes.

"It's okay. You'll remember next time. I'll help you wash them in the kitchen." He carried her into the kitchen, walking past Topanga and Eric along the way.

"Are you sure it wasn't my cooking that made Angela sick?"

"Topanga, relax. It's morning sickness."

"But what if-"

"If it was the food we'd all be dropping like flies," Eric pointed out. They had been getting ready to leave when Angela made a mad dash to the bathroom. "Morning sickness hits her in the middle of the night. It doesn't matter if she eats, doesn't eat, or only eats bland food. Whatever she does it doesn't make a difference. She always gets up at some point after midnight, is sick for an hour or two, and then is usually fine until the next night."

"After midnight? But it's only-"

"The baby obviously didn't get the memo about time zone changes. We tried to watch the clock so we could be back at Feeny's before she got sick, but we lost track of time."

"You're sure it wasn't me?"

"Yes. She was the same way when she was pregnant with Georgia."

"Okay then everyone better claim these leftovers because I am not getting stuck with all this food," Topanga called from the kitchen. "I'll just end up finding the Tupperware containers lurking in the back of the fridge on Valentine's Day."

"Come on, my parents are going to think we never clean out the fridge."

"Cory, did I or did I nor return from a ten day business trip and find some of the same meals I premade for you and the kids still in their containers, untouched and growing mold?"

"Well yeah, but...you know, if you look at it like a science experiment then really, they learned a great lesson."

She crossed her arms and stared down her husband. "No further questions."

"You can't pull that stuff with me. We've talked about that. I'm not your client, a defendant, or one of the kids." There was nothing that irritated Cory more than when his wife would try to go at him in lawyer mode. "Obviously I was capable of keeping us fed while you were gone. Besides, no one likes your "meatballs" made out of eggplant. We're carnivores, Topanga! That includes, you, too. You haven't been a vegetarian since high school." He jumped when he heard the front door slam. He turned around and saw that Josh and Riley were back and that Maya was still with them. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Mom, dad, Maya's sleeping over here tonight."

"What happened?"

"Nothing," the blonde said, trying to remain casual. "It's nothing. I wanted to stay but these two dragged me back here."

"Maya, your building has no heat," Josh spoke up. "You'd freeze to death."

She smiled ever so slightly. Maybe he did care after all. Maybe he only invited Riley to ride along earlier as buffer so his feelings wouldn't be obvious. "I can handle it."

"What do you mean you have no heat," Cory asked. "What happened?"

"Busted furnace."

"Where are your mom and grandmother? Don't they need a place to stay, too?"

"Grandma is spending the night with friends in a retirement community. There's no room for me, unless I want to sleep on the floor, and that's a giant nope."

"And your mom?"

She shrugged in an exaggerated manner. "At work…not at work…trying to find Mr. Not Right under some tacky mistletoe…who the hell knows. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Of course you can stay," Topanga said. "You always have a place here. You know that."

Maya mumbled out a thank you. She needed to get away from the prying looks of Riley's extended family. They acted like they were preoccupied, but she knew better. She pulled the same crap whenever she tried to eavesdrop. "I'm going to put my stuff in Riley's room."

Cory nodded. "I'll be in there in a little bit to help you girls set up the air mattress."

"Thanks."

"Does that happen a lot," Amy asked once she was certain the girls were out of earshot.

"Christmas is a new twist, but this may as well be Maya's mailing address."

"Where's her mother like?"

"She's kind of a flake. Do you remember Virna," he asked, remembering moments later Shawn was still there.

"Say no more."

"I mean, she's a nice person and I don't think she does anything out of malice," Topanga added. "Katy had Maya when she was really young. Sometimes it's hard to tell if she grew up too fast or if she didn't grow up at all." 

"Where's her dad?"

"He lives with his new family now."

"Poor kid."

"Yeah, we do what we can to help."

"No, that's mine!"

"Baby Erica wants to ride."

"Georgia, give Auggie his truck." Eric sighed and wondered when she left the kitchen. At this rate they were never going to get out of here.

"Daddy I just let Baby Erica use it for a little minute. She not keep it. She play."

"Georgia, daddy said give it back."

"But mama-"

"Now." Angela watched as her daughter rolled the truck back. She wasn't exactly gentle about it. "Do it nicely."

She stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "Mama, you no say Georgia be nice. You only say give it back. And I give it to him."

"Isn't three a fun age," Amy chimed it, doing her best not to laugh at her granddaughter's antics. It was so much fun to watch her children deal with their own kids.

"You could try not to look so happy about it," Eric grumbled to his mother before saying to his wife, "Although the hands on the hips thing is all you."

"Sorry, honey, I'm just enjoying watching karma in action."

"Which of us was your karma, mom? Me, Cory, Morgan, Josh: who was the universe's way of getting revenge on you?"

"You all provided humbling experiences."

"It was Cory, right? You just don't want to say it because he's in the room."

"I can still hear you."

"Duh, I'm not whispering."

"Come on, Georgia." Amy held out her hand. "You can help me check that we have all our presents to take back home. We don't want to forget anything."

"Feeling better," Eric asked when Angela walked over to him.

She stared at him and practically growled. "You."

"What?"

"You did this to me and for that you must pay." While she was fortunate to not suffer from all day morning sickness, the hour or two she spent holed up in the bathroom each night was hell. "You owe me."

"When we get back to Feeny's I'll rub your back until you fall asleep. How's that sound?"

She relaxed against him. "That's a pretty good start."

"I'll make your favorite pregnancy food even though it grosses me out."

"Please, it can't be any worse than Topanga's."

"Cory, I wasn't that bad."

"When you were pregnant with Riley you added liverwurst and sauerkraut to everything. Everything! And you hated both of those before you were pregnant and then again after. That makes no sense."

"I don't understand it either, but pregnancy cravings are a powerful thing. I didn't want to eat them. I needed to."

"Weirdo. With Auggie you were obsessed with plum sauce."

"Plum sauce is good."

"Not on rocky road ice cream or drowning cheddar cheese popcorn. Heck one time I came home from work and you were chugging it from the bottle."

Angela put her hand over her mouth. "Shut up before I vomit on your shoes."

"Don't think about their yucky food," Eric said as he rubbed slow circles against her back. "Just concentrate on your yummy cinnamon raisin bagels smothered in Dijon mustard." He was proud of himself for saying it without gagging.

"No, today is a spicy brown mustard day."

"Okay."

"Mustard and cinnamon raisin bagels?" Cory's face twisted in disgust. "Ew!"

"It's not always the same. Sometimes it's a blueberry bagel."

"You say that like it makes it better."

"Don't worry, Cor, we'll make sure the next kid makes her crave nothing but cake and ice cream so we don't gross you out."

Cory stared at his brother like he had three heads. "Next one?"

Angela held up a hand. "Let me get this one baked and birthed before we commit to going for number three."

"But you _might_ have more?"

"It's a possibility. What does it matter to you?"

"Topanga, we need to have more kids!"

"Excuse me?"

"They're trying to win."

"Win what?"

"We have two and they're going to have two, so we'll be tied. But if they have three then they win. We can't let them win."

"It's not the number of kids you have. It's how you raise them."

"Cory, I love you and I love our children, but I wouldn't be pregnant again if someone paid me. I hated being pregnant."

"But-"

"Do you remember the mood swings, huh? Then there were swollen ankles and the heartburn from hell that no one warned me about. I had to sleep sitting up. That sucked. That's not even getting into the postpartum depression I had after Riley was born. Then with Auggie I was on bed rest for the last eight weeks and needed an emergency C-section." She shook her head. "Nope, never again. Besides, you had a vasectomy a few years ago so it's really a non-issue."

"You had a vasectomy?"

"Topanga! Does everyone need to know my business?"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," she reassured him before turning to the others. "We had a pregnancy scare around Auggie's second birthday and I had a meltdown that put Cory's worst freak outs to shame. After the tests came back negative we talked it over and decided our family was complete just the way it was. If I get the urge for more nurturing later maybe I'll finally cave and let a pet needier than a goldfish into the house."

"Still, you don't go telling people this stuff."

"Cory, relax. A lot of men get them. Your father had one a couple months after I Josh was born."

"Amy!"

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Ew, excuse me, but when did I get old enough to hear all of this?"

"Yeah, this is way more than I ever needed to know about this family."

Cory spun around and saw Riley and Maya standing in the doorway. "How much did you girls hear?"

Riley made a face. "My college fund may need to be put towards therapy instead."

He covered his face. "If anyone needs me I'm going to fling myself off the fire escape."

"Can you at least set up the air mattress first," Maya asked. "Payback for traumatizing us."

"Yes, great! I'm happy to go to another room." He grabbed Shawn's arm. "Come on, Shawnie."

"I have to go. I mean it." He'd been close to leaving several times, but whenever he got to the door Cory always found something else to talk about, another question to ask…anything to keep him here. "I really do have to work tomorrow," he said as Cory dragged him down the hall to Riley's room. "You know it's illegal to hold someone hostage. Don't make me call the cops on Christmas. I haven't had to do that since the trailer park and I don't miss it."

"Just help me set this up and then I'll let you leave."

"What's to stop me from going down the fire escape right now?"

"You wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to everyone."

"I've already done my goodbye rounds twice already, so I think they'll be good."

Cory knelt down and connected the mattress to the air pump. "You're not going to disappear again, are you? You know, say you'll visit but then bail at the last minute? Is it going to be another year before I see my best friend again?"

"We went over this earlier. I'm going to try not to go off the grid again."

"That's not good enough. I want a promise."

"I promise I'll see you when we dig up the time capsule in Mr. Feeny's yard."

"And after that?"

He sighed. It was apparent he wasn't going to get out of this apartment until he gave a guarantee. "What are you doing March 25th?"

"That's my birthday."

"I know. We'll get dinner. My treat."

"A big family dinner," he asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Cake with family," Shawn countered. "Dinner is just us catching up."

While it wasn't exactly what Cory wanted, he had to admit it was a fair compromise. It was a start. "You mean it?"

"Sure. What kind of asshole would blow off his best friend's birthday?" He almost immediately realized he'd been that asshole lately. "Let's pretend that's a rhetorical question, okay?"

"I suppose. It is Christmas after all." He turned off the air pump. "Hand me that sheet, will you?"

Shawn did as he was asked. "Can I go now? I have to be back in the city early tomorrow."

"You could stay over here. The couch is free."

"I don't have the right cameras with me."

"You're serious about my birthday?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Cory relented. "Are you going out the window for old time's sake?"

"I was joking before, but it does seem fitting. Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Did Topanga really make you get a vasectomy?"

"She didn't _make_ me, but-"

"Strongly suggested in her own Topanga way," he guessed.

"She wasn't kidding when she said she freaked. I don't know if it was so much the baby part as it was the being pregnant part. She was also afraid of losing leverage at the law firm again, too. It took a while for them to give her a more normal caseload when she went back to work after Auggie." He thought back to that period of chaos and uncertainty and sighed. "I had to be the calm one because she fell to pieces."

"Wow."

"And it was easier for me to get fixed than her. Sure, she promised it would mean pressure free sex whenever wherever, but you can guess how that's worked out for me." They laughed. "Don't get me wrong, the first few months were great, but we're back to normal now. Sort of. It's normalish. I mean, I figure it's gotta get back to normal by the time the kids are out of the house."

"Good."

"Good? What the heck does that mean?"

"It would be a crime for you to get absolutely everything you want in life," Shawn joked. "Something's gotta give."

"Very funny."

"I think so." His phone buzzed, indicating a text. He dug the phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to go."

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just getting late."

"It's been getting late for a while now. But you get a text and suddenly have to run for the door?" He tried to peek at Shawn's phone. "Come on, who's texting you? Is it a girl?"

"Good-night, Cor."

"It is a girl," he exclaimed, pointing at Shawn. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Marcela's not my girlfriend, we just-"

"Ooh, Marcela? That's a pretty name. Who is she?"

"We used to work together before she got a job producing documentaries for the Travel Channel. If we're in town at the same time and aren't seeing anyone at the moment we…you know…we get together."

"That sounds like dating, Shawnie."

"Nope. It's getting together when we have nothing better to do. We see other people."

"So what is it, a booty call or friends with benefits thing?"

"If you're so desperate to put a label on it, sure, we'll call it that." He liked Marcela, but it was casual, a way to keep warm on a lonely night. They both knew that.

"And how long have you been benefitting?"

Shawn ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know, a year? Maybe a little longer."

"That's a relationship."

"Then according to you I'm also in relationships with Diana in Vancouver and Candace in San Francisco."

"Are you serious? Three women?"

"There was Aoife from London, but we ended things when she met her husband a couple years ago. I went to her wedding. Nice couple. I gave them luggage."

"You're killing me, Shawnie. Earlier tonight you said you wanted a family. This is not the way to go about it. You've reverted back to high school dating."

"Hey, high school wasn't so bad. I had a lot of fun."

"Sure, but you were happier in a real relationship, a committed relationship with one person."

"And we know how well that ended for me. My committed relationship is now married to your brother."

"That doesn't mean it can't work with someone else. What about Marcela? She sounds great."

"You don't even know her."

"I know she wants to get together on Christmas Eve. That's not just a friend."

"We're meeting up tomorrow after I'm done working. She needed an excuse to bail on her family early. And we're done talking about this."

"But-"

"No." He walked over to the window. "Can I go now?"

As much as Cory wanted to continue talking, he knew Shawn was done for one night. He wasn't going to give his best friend a reason to keep his distance by pressuring him. "We'll talk, right? You'll call, text, or email?"

"I can definitely text and email. I'll try to remember to call." He opened the window. "Thanks for making me stay. It was…interesting."

"If you thought today was interesting, you should see us on New Years'."

"What, you and Topanga passed out on the couch two minutes after midnight?"

"Hey, last year we made it until one."

"Wow…party animals. Did the cops have to shut you down?" He batted away the stuffed animal Cory threw at him. "Don't forget, March 25th."

He nodded. "March 25th. Hey, Shawnie," he called out when Shawn was halfway out the window.

"What?"

"If you're still booty-calling with Marcela you can bring over for birthday cake."

It was all he could do to keep a straight face. "Do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Never say booty call again. Ever."

"It just doesn't sound right coming from me, does it?"

"Not even a little bit," he said with a chuckle. "Bye." Shawn was about to shut the window when Cory called out to him. "What?"

"I'm expecting a text that you got home safely."

"Okay."

"I'm serious. If I don't hear from you within two hours I'm calling. If you don't answer I'll drive up there. You know I will."

He shook his head and smiled. "Never change, Cor."

Cory closed the window and watched until his friend was out of sight. He resumed setting up the air mattress.

"Your boyfriend went out the window? Classy."

He turned around and saw Maya standing in the doorway. "He prefers the window. Much like someone else I know."

"Yeah, but I'm not into booty calls or someone named Marcela. And I don't want to know how birthday cake is involved."

"How much did you hear," he asked, horrified.

"Let's just say the mental trauma is strong tonight. Riley is not the only one who will need money for therapy." She'd been spying on Josh when he was on the phone, but it became obvious he was talking to a girl. Her fears were confirmed when he asked his mother if he could go to someone named Tasha's house tomorrow for lunch and to give her his present. After that it was either leave the room or cry.

"You and Riley can go together and get the group rate. I'm sure it will be cheaper for me."

"Why are you doing that," she questioned as he continued to make up the bed. "I'm going to sleep in a little while. I don't need it made."

"I just want you to feel comfortable and at home."

Maya sat down on the window seat and stared at her shoes. All of Mrs. Matthews' little lectures were playing on repeat in her head. _'…The disrespect stops tonight…Cory thinks the world of you... He has done a lot for you. Do I need to remind you who went out on his own, with his own money, and bought that nice little phone you have… He thinks of you as a daughter.'_ "Thank you."

"You know you always have a spot here when you need it. You don't have to thank me."

"Yeah," she said quietly, "I do. I should've said it a long time ago."

"I don't understand."

"I know I'm not the easiest person to be around. That's Riley. Sometimes I think that's why we get along so well. She's the calm and I'm the chaos. It's a balance."

"Like me and Shawn," he said.

"I don't know about that. Even after meeting him I'm still not all that impressed with your boyfriend. But this isn't about him or Riley. It's about you and me." She got up and paced the room. "Like I said, I'm not always an easy person to be around. I can be rude and disrespectful and-and…just mean."

"You're not-"

"How many times do I disrupt class?"

"You've got to be approaching a Guinness World Record Book number."

"Look, I'm not good with this so will you let me just spit it out without interrupting?"

He took a seat at the desk. "Go ahead."

"It was brought to my attention that the person I'm meanest to is also the person who's probably done more for me than anyone else in my life. Ever." Maya crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "How many dads would buy their kid's friend a phone and add them to their family plan? No one does that. You've paid for school pictures and given me extensions on homework I really don't deserve. I had strep throat last year and you gave my mom money when she couldn't afford to take me to the doctor." She could feel the tears in her eyes and picked at a loose thread in her sleeve as a distraction. "I've gone on family vacations and played silly family game nights. I never have to worry about dinner. I never have to worry about anything when I come here, be-because…because you…"

Cory walked over to Maya and gave her a hug. "It's all right."

"Thank you. Even when I'm being a brat and don't deserve it you're still…thank you."

"You're welcome." After a few seconds she pulled away. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Boy, your wife is really annoying when she proves a point. She makes you think and everything. I hate that."

"Tell me about it," he said with a smile. "But you know she's just as involved with what happens as I am, right?"

She nodded. "Probably not the school stuff though."

"Well, no. I'm a bit of a pushover there."

"I promise I'll try not to be such a pain in the ass. I'm not going to suddenly turn into a perfect person, but I'm going to try."

"I look forward to it."

/

/

"All I'm saying is next year Christmas in Novara. What do you think?" Eric took Angela's bagels out of the toaster and added the mustard. She'd decided she couldn't make the drive back to Philadelphia on an empty stomach. He ran to the 24 hour market around the corner. While they didn't have the exact mustard he was looking for, he found one that was close enough to satisfy her temperamental taste buds.

"You want us all to travel to you?"

"Why not? We visit a couple times a year. It's only fair you guys try it once. Mom, dad, even you have only been to see us once after Georgia was born. And that was when we still lived France."

Before Cory could point out that he and Angela were the ones who decided to move thousands of miles away, Topanga spoke up.

"Oh, Italy at Christmas would be beautiful. The pictures you share are always so magical. It must be like living in another time. I can't imagine how it would be to see it in person. Wait a minute. You're close to Milan, right?"

"Very."

"I don't know about anyone else, but you can count me in."

"Topanga-"

"Shoes, Cory, lots and lots of shoes and designer boutiques. Ooh, can I take a tour of Vogue?"

If Topanga was on board he knew she'd make it happen. "Would we all even fit in your house?"

"It might be a little tight," Angela said in between bites of her bagel. "But there are hotels that are pretty close. We had to stay in one for a few days before we could move into the house."

"Plus if you come to us, you can check out the bidets," Eric added, knowing that would convince his brother.

"You have a bidet in your house?"

"In both bathrooms, yep."

"I've never seen one in person before. I've always wanted to try one."

"So? Next Christmas in Italy?"

He snapped his fingers. "Next Christmas in Italy!" Everyone laughed. "What?"

"You won't travel to see family, but you'll travel for a bathroom fixture?"

"I'm curious to see how other cultures live."

"We're going to Italy," Riley asked, relieved she and Maya walked in on at least one normal conversation tonight.

"Next Christmas."

"And when you say we…" Maya began.

"We mean we," Topanga said. "Everyone in this room."

She smiled briefly. A year was still a long way off. "By the way, if you're wondering where Georgia is-"

Everyone looked around the room. How did she keep making stealth escapes with so many adults around? "Where is she? She was sitting on the floor looking a book just a minute ago."

"Well now she's running around Riley's room in her underwear and wearing her shirt on her head like a wig."

"She said she's a warrior," Riley supplied.

Alan turned to Angela. "I'm guessing when she was born the doctor handed her to you and said, _'congratulations, it's an Eric.'_ "

She nodded. "Pretty much."

/

/

"Georgia, sit still."

"But mama-"

"No, I have to fix your hair again so it's not a mess of tangles tomorrow." She held her daughter's hands at her sides. "Don't hit me."

"Georgia don't like you no more forever!"

The first time Angela heard those words she cried and called Amy for guidance, convinced she had failed as a mother. She still didn't like them, but had by now accepted it was typical of toddlers. They existed in a world of absolutes. "That's too bad because I still love you forever."

"And ever?"

"And forever and ever after that."

"That's lots of forevers."

"That's how it is being a mama. You love your babies for all of the forevers."

"Daddies,too?"

"Daddies, too."

"Your mama and daddy love you forever?"

She bit her lip and focused on redoing the braids. It was hard enough when Georgia wondered why her mama had no more parents and daddy still had both of his. She could barely explain death. How could she begin to explain maternal abandonment?

"Georgia, what do you want Santa to bring you tomorrow?"

Angela gave Cory a grateful smile when he sat beside her on the couch. She whispered her thanks and waited for her daughter to answer.

"No Santa, Zio Cory. Babba Natale," Georgia responded.

He looked to his sister-in-law for help when his niece continued to talk. The later it got and the more tired she became, she continually slipped into Italian and often put English and Italian words in the same sentence. "What was that? Did she say something about dinosaurs?"

While they spoke English when it was just the three of them at home, Italian was the primary language spoken in the outside world so Georgia was becoming well-versed in both. It didn't faze her or Eric when Georgia mixed the two. They were used to it. "Sorry, we wrote out all her letters to Santa...Babba Natale...in Italian. So that's how she remembers her list. She wants dinosaurs that roar, right Georgia?"

"Roar," The little girl growled in her uncle's face.

He put his hand over his heart. "Oh! You scared me."

She doubled over with laughter. "I trick you."

"Yes, you did." Her giggles were contagious. He remembered how much fun Riley and Auggie were at this age. They were exhausting, but so much fun.

"Georgia no dinosaur. I just pretend."

"You're pretending?" She nodded. "Good."

"Uh-oh, is someone getting tired," Angela asked when Georgia yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Not me."

"Yes you." She pulled her daughter into her lap. "I think we need to drive back to Mr. Feeny's house so we can go to sleep. This way Babba Natale can come and leave your presents."

"You sing me my woo-woo song?"

"I'll sing it in the car."

"Okay." She squirmed away from her mom and waved to her uncle. "Ciao, Zio Cory."

Angela laughed when she made a beeline for the door. "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. We have to wait for daddy, nonna, nonno, and Zio Josh."

"Um, Angela?" Cory grabbed her arm when she moved to get up. "One question."

"What?"

"What's a woo-woo song?"

She laughed. "Georgia loves songs with her name in them. The "woo-woo song" is _Midnight Train to Georgia_."

"Oh, I get it." He mimed pulling a train whistle. " _Woo-woo_."

/

/

A little while later the presents and leftovers were packed into the cars and everyone had their coats on, finally ready to leave.

"I will not."

"Yes, I bet you you're going to fall asleep before Georgia." Eric checked the time. "You'll be out within twenty minutes."

"You've already lost."

"What do you mean?" Angela was smiling and looking past him. He turned around and saw Georgia in her grandmother's arms, head on her shoulder, and eyes almost closed. "Damn it. At least we didn't put a wager on it yet."

"Hey, can I talk to you guys," Cory asked as he approached them.

"We're about to leave. Finally."

"It will just take a minute. I promise."

"Okay, what?"

"I forgive you."

Eric and Angela looked at each other, confused. "For what?"

"For getting together and hurting Shawn. I've been holding it against you for a long time, but I guess it's not your fault. You can't help who you fall in love with. Clearly you guys are happy and raising a great kid. I'm sure her little sister will be great, too. You have my support."

"Wow. That's…that's very big of you, Cory," she said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "We'll sleep much easier knowing we have your approval."

"Yeah," Eric chimed in, "we were going to break out the divorce papers and throw away six years of marriage, but now that it's okay with you...wow, bullet dodged."

"You don't understand, I-"

"Shut up and give me hug before you dig yourself in any deeper."

He did as she asked. "I only meant-"

"I know what you meant. You just said it in the Coryest way possible."


End file.
